


Redefining Routine

by skell



Series: Redefining Routine [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-02-20 06:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 75,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2419391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skell/pseuds/skell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was on a lively Friday morning, one that was full of potential and uncertainty, that a chance meeting between a teacher and a tour guide would spark a change in what they both considered as routine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ueno Station

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to dedicate this first chapter to all the snails and millipedes I ran over with my bicycle because I was too busy thinking about this ship. :/
> 
> That said, I'll do my best to update this weekly. I plan on making drawings to accompany future chapters, so that may delay some of the updates. I've really enjoyed making this fic so far, so I hope you guys will too! I've been so excited to share this~

The sun shone too bright, the air felt too humid, and the morning rush was too tedious and monotonous to appeal to anyone. People rushed in and out of rooms, cars, buildings, emotions — all seemingly minuscule and irrelevant to the greater flow of things.

Mornings brought about new beginnings, and what came between the start and the end were the choices made along the way. The decisions that a person settled on a whim could unknowingly change the entire outcome of the day, from purchasing an ice cream that would have ruined an outfit for a job interview, or having crossed the street a second too early and getting hit by a speeding motorbike. Be it by destiny or strength of will, coincidence or god’s hand, even the most mundane of actions could serve as a catalyst to change one’s life — and even that of those around them.

It was on a lively Friday morning, one that was full of potential and uncertainty, that a chance meeting between two individuals would spark a change in what they both considered as routine. They sat directly across from each other, but obscured from one another’s views by at least six different people. The train coach was packed, and a cross-section could paint the vivid diversity of Tokyo’s population. It was one of those situations where having your personal space rendered non-existent was the standard.

The bespectacled blond passed the time listening to music that blared through his bulky headphones, loud enough that those next to him tapped their feet to the beat. He was headed to university, where he would most likely phase through the first hour or so in a drowsy daze. The identification card tucked neatly inside his pocket read “Tsukishima Kei”. He tried to suppress a yawn but failed, mentally cursing his roommate for being unreasonably loud last night. Who even was that person they had over? He barely had the composure to remember the guy’s name, considering how suffocating it was to be in their presence. Just remembering it made him feel awful. They ushered in a thick atmosphere that was full of tension, and the kind of secondhand anxiety that arose from being in close proximity to affectionate lovers. They were magnetic. Those two were drawn to each other so intensely that simply trying to keep a short distance required such an effort. Tsukishima just felt so greatly repulsed that to be in their presence instilled a desire to fling himself towards the other side of the cosmos. In the end he settled for the safety of his own bedroom, but the apartment’s walls could only conceal so much.

Tsukishima’s head bobbed slightly, seemingly in tune to the music but he’d really just dozed off. The train made a quick stop at Yurakucho, five stops away from his and a certain stranger’s destination. The other individual was a freckled dark-haired boy with chin-length hair that slightly covered the thoughtful expression he wore on his face. He was Yamaguchi Tadashi, and in reality he was frantically going through his notes, mentally rehearsing a science lecture that would hopefully interest his equally sleep-deprived students. He would have done it the night before if he hadn’t fallen asleep immediately after eating dinner, his body already set in vacation mode. Summer break was just around the corner, and it wasn’t exactly easy for him to stay motivated. It’d just get tougher for him in the next couple weeks, but he hoped that by that time he’d have switched gears and gotten back into the grind. He truly felt like this new albeit temporary profession of his was as taxing as it was thankless, but he supposed the sense of purpose and satisfaction he got whenever a student lit up in interest made it worthwhile in the end.

When the train arrived in Ueno, the momentum from the horde of alighting passengers was deadly. Those two strangers practically got shoved out of the coach. They almost fell face first onto the platform, but the taller blond instinctively reached out and caught onto Yamaguchi’s jacket. Yamaguchi thought that Tsukishima had just saved him from an embarrassing situation and felt it was pretty cool of him to have such quick reflexes, but the other’s sleepless scowl left more of a scary impression. Tsukishima barely glanced at Yamaguchi, and even then all he’d seen was a vague look of terror. Once they’d regained their balance and excused themselves, the two went on their separate ways. Normally, such a serendipitous encounter would easily be forgotten, especially since it wasn’t so eventful to begin with. However, when the clock struck five and the rain began to pour, they found themselves tapping out of the same turnstile at Shinagawa — where both of them lived. Yamaguchi apologized on reflex. When he finally saw the bespectacled blond before him, he visibly tensed. The gradual realization of having come across a stranger twice on the same day can be quite awkward. He inadvertently screeched a raspy greeting. “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi, thanks so much for last time.”

Tsukishima didn’t even try to conceal his confusion. “Have we met before?” he asked as he stared at the other. The rest of the queue started complaining about the delay, so the two made way for them.

Flustered, Yamaguchi raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, well… this morning, the train,” he fidgeted nervously.

Tsuksihima laughed, vaguely recognizing the horrified look on the other’s face. “Were you the one from Ueno? I guess you look a bit familiar.”

Yamaguchi was frozen stiff. “Yeah,” he managed to mumble.

“There’s nothing to thank for,” Tsukishima shrugged. Yamaguchi nervously trailed behind him as they both approached the station exit.

Once they’d left the station, Tsukishima looked at the sky bitterly as the freckled boy fumbled through his bag to answer a phone call. Yamaguchi clumsily placed the receiver to his ear. In those few seconds the downpour seemingly intensified, and the crease between Tsukishima’s brows only deepened. A light tap on his shoulder didn’t ease his expression, and when the other boy unceremoniously passed his umbrella to him he could only stare in confusion. Yamaguchi simply pursed his lips, nodded, and continued talking on the phone as he made his way back into the station, where he would take a train back to Ueno to pick up some things he’d forgotten at work.

Their paths crossed again the day after the train incident. They were both in the same Sports Zyuen outlet near the station, but the blond was too preoccupied and Yamaguchi was too shy to acknowledge the other. When they did meet by the exit, Tsukishima took off his headphones to speak to the other.

“You again? You sure you aren’t following me around?”

“Why would I even do that?” Yamaguchi said with such horror and disbelief that it came off as a little insulting, but Tsukishima only smirked.

“Slipping in a little window shopping during lunch break, then?”

“All the restaurants were full, so I needed to kill time somehow,” Yamaguchi spluttered, almost inaudible.

“So you haven’t eaten yet? Let’s go get something then,” the blond suggested. The other boy looked shocked and rubbed a hand through his left arm, visibly uneasy with the idea. “Think of it as thanks for the umbrella,” Tsukishima added.

“Oh, that’s hardly worth mentioning,” Yamaguchi said shyly. “But I don’t know how I’d feel about having a meal with someone I barely know.”

“I’m Tsuki— hold on.” The boy reached into his pockets to retrieve his cellphone. He turned to look at his companion.

“You should probably get that,” Yamaguchi mumbled.

He looked unamused as he answered, “Ennoshita-san. No, I haven’t forgotten. I just went out to get lunch, I’ll head back by 1 PM. Alright.”

“Got an appointment?” the freckled boy almost sounded relieved.

“Somewhat. We can take our time,” the taller boy assured as he set his phone to silent mode.

Yamaguchi politely refused the offer at first but after a little persuasion and a loud stomach grumble, he was too embarrassed to pose a fight. He refused to go anywhere with lesser patrons as they were too fancy and expensive, so they settled for McDonald’s. The freckled boy volunteered to keep a look out for free tables while Tsukishima queued up to order. In the time that it took to get to the front of the line, the restaurant was still teeming with customers. Yamaguchi proposed to have their food for takeout instead.

“So how do you suggest we eat this?” the taller boy said as he grumpily eyed those that were already seated.

“Why don’t we eat at the park instead?” he asked as he turned to Tsukishima. “Or would it be too far from where you’re going afterwards?”

“That’d be fine, actually. Ridiculous things happen at the park all the time, it could be fun if we could witness something interesting,” the blond snickered.

As they walked to the restaurant’s entryway, a young office lady accidentally slammed herself face first into one of the glass doors. The surface that was once mistaken for open air due to its clearness was now smudged with foundation and rich red lipstick. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi tried their hardest not to laugh, but when they felt they were out of earshot they couldn’t contain themselves any longer.

“I guess we didn’t even have to look too far,” Yamaguchi wheezed once he had gotten a hold of himself.

They leisurely paced through the park side by side, pausing every now and then when one of them would get into an uncontrollable fit of laughter upon remembering what had taken place.

“It’s just that, ha ha, that look on her face when she realized what happened —“

“Stop! Stop, please... my sides are starting to hurt.”

The many trees that lined the pathways provided enough shade from the glaring sun, and the cool wind felt comfortable on their skin. The faint smell of water drifted in the air, overpowered by the fragrance of dry earth. They positioned themselves towards the center of the park, on the type of chair that could seat two people but had a partition in between.

“Do you work around here?” Tsukishima asked the moment they sat down.

“Yeah, it’s a little up north from the park,” Yamaguchi replied.

“Shouldn’t you be getting off from a different station then? Ueno’s a bit far.”

“I like taking the longer way to work,” Yamaguchi said sheepishly as he peeked into the plastic bag with his food. He smiled to himself as he got a handful of soggy french fries. Continuing a conversation could be stressful, but sitting in uncomfortable silence scared him even more. “Are you working now, too?”

“I’m still in university, actually.”

“Oh, I miss being a student,” Yamaguchi sighed. His mood dampened at the thought of all the work that awaited him in the afternoon.

“What did you graduate from?” Tsukishima asked.

“I recently graduated from Biology. I plan on being a researcher someday,” Yamaguchi grinned. Talking about his goals fueled him with excitement, but his zest was short-lived. “In the meantime I’m working as a schoolteacher.”

“Researching can be pretty interesting,” the blond spoke monotonously, but he seemed genuinely interested.

“I’d probably focus on evolutionary biology, or ecology at least,” Yamaguchi murmured, suddenly feeling too shy to indulge on his dreams. Eager to shift the attention away from himself, he turned to his acquaintance. “Where are you studying?”

The blond took a bite of his food and swallowed, biding his time before he answered, “Todai.”

“Whoa, University of Tokyo?” Yamaguchi exclaimed, visibly impressed. “You must’ve been working hard.”

“It’s an investment,” the other boy shrugged. Uncomfortable with the atmosphere, he turned his gaze towards the park’s passersby. Seated around them were a variety of tourists and locals, each interesting enough once he bothered to look at them individually.

Having noticed the change in mood, Yamaguchi shifted his own attention towards the people around him for the first time since he sat down. He looked at a rather confused couple with colourful polos tucked into loose fitting khaki trousers, their eyebrows furrowed underneath their white visors. They paired their sports shoes with long white socks that camouflaged against their skin. They had in their hands what looked to be a travel guide, but they were too far away to decipher what was written on the cover.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Tsukishima snickered.

“What?” Yamaguchi turned abruptly to his companion.

“That look,” he said as he eyed the couple from head to toe. He leaned towards Yamaguchi as he covered his mouth with his right hand to conceal a grin, “You know what it means, don’t you?"

“Don’t be rude to the tourists,” Yamaguchi countered, trying hard not to return the smile.

“You talk like you weren’t side eyeing them just a second ago,” Tsukishima smirked. A moment after Yamaguchi met his gaze, the blond’s expression dropped as he whispered, “What the hell.”

Yamaguchi felt offended. “What?”

“No, look,” the boy motioned his chin towards their right and innocently inspected the ground by his feet. “Don’t make it obvious.”

“Eh, I don’t really see anything…” Yamaguchi trailed off, eyes darting from one passerby to another. “Wait.”

“Do you see it?” the other boy sounded amused.

“Well, I know what I’m not seeing!” Yamaguchi hissed. “But that can’t be right, can it? He’s got to be wearing something. That can’t be right, that’s got to be a public offense, I mean—“

“Calm down, his shirt looks long enough to cover all that needs to be,” the blond chuckled.

The man in question had dark hair and rather sun kissed skin, and he was wearing an oversized checkered polo buttoned all the way to the top. He paired it with strappy black sandals and a metallic backpack that refracted light all over the place. In his hands was a professional camera with a mile-long lens, and it gave off the impression of being capable to stalk down idols and celebrities, or at least catch Yamaguchi's and Tsukishima’s scrutinizing expressions in high definition.

“He doesn’t look homeless, surely he could afford some pants. Maybe he’s just wearing some shorts,” the freckled boy quietly assured himself. “Oh. Oh no. I think his shirt’s starting to ride up his back because of his bag.”

The blond adjusted his eyeglasses. “Huh, you’re right. It really doesn’t look like he’s got anything underneath.”

“No! Don’t say things like that,” Yamaguchi stressed. “Ah, it looks like he dropped something.”

“I think it was a lens cover,” the other boy announced as the stranger in the distance put his bag down and seemingly motioned to crouch down.

“No,” the dark haired boy shook his head and leaned in towards his acquaintance as he gulped. “I do not want to see a black hole.”

“For fear that it might look back at you?” the other boy laughed. “Just look away then!”

“Why don’t you look away?” Yamaguchi cried. “Oh great, his shirt was long enough to cover,” he sighed in relief as he raised his hand to his chest.

“So you did want to see it?” the blond sneered.

“I —“ the freckled boy was bewildered to see the stranger suddenly turn towards them. “Did he hear us?”

“I don’t know, but it sure looks like he shaved for this occasion,” the bespectacled boy murmured as he sipped the last of his soft drink.

At that moment, the pantless park photographer raised his camera skyward to capture some of the birds perched atop a cherry blossom tree. The motion caused his shirt to ride up even higher on his body, its hem hanging dangerously close to crotch level. The two sat tense and silent. Yamaguchi was visibly distressed as his mouth hung open as the blond pressed his clenched fist against his lips. Their eyes widened when the stranger reached under his shirt, pulling it upwards. Before either of them could react, the photographer was already scratching his belly, just a few centimeters shy from the garter of his pants.

“It’s the anticipation that kills you,” Tsukishima’s brother used to say whenever he threatened to tickle him. “When it finally happens, you’ll feel relief.” Remembering his brother at that moment suddenly made Tsukishima feel conflicted, but the freckled boy’s laughter quickly brought Tsukishima back to reality and they were both cackling in no time. It took a while before either of them could utter something sensible.

“What was that?” Yamaguchi cried. “I practically had a heart attack from the suspense.”

“I’m never wearing cream coloured pants in my life,” the blond snorted.

When the laughter subsided and the food crumbs were dusted off of their shirts, the two cleaned up their spaces.

“I’m having a headache. I’m going to be so lousy at work,” the dark-haired boy massaged his temples as he stood up from his seat and walked to a nearby garbage bin.

“Same here. I doubt my group mate’s going to let me off so easily for being late, either,” Tsukishima grumbled. “I should be leaving. Next time, we should have lunch earlier.”

Yamaguchi grinned, “Maybe next time, it could be my treat. I’ll be seeing you around then, Tsukki!”

The taller boy raised an eyebrow and mumbled, “What?” but Yamaguchi had already walked away and was out of earshot.

 


	2. Recondition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to upload this earlier today but I just kept nitpicking over how the drawings looked like... I'm still not 100% sure about them but at this point I'm too tired to bother modifying them even more. I'll let you guys know beforehand that I am practically incapable of drawing consistently, so expect random style changes here and there...

Yamaguchi had been planning to physically recondition himself. On his first day of work, the climb to his classroom on the third floor made his lungs ache and left him out of breath. He figured this was a sign to start making changes in his lifestyle. He’d been considerably active in sports back in his youth, but free time wasn’t so easy to come by now that he worked as a science teacher. The humdrum of phasing through classes and grading papers was starting to grow tedious, and he wanted to engage himself in something outside of the classroom for once.

He’d been planning to get back in shape for quite some time already, but never really got around to doing it and just kept putting it off. He decided to start small by taking the longer route to work in an effort to attune his leg muscles, but that Saturday he was determined to up the ante and jog a good distance. The overcast skies didn’t faze him. When he got off from the Keisei Ueno station, he decided that it would be more convenient for him to leave his belongings in a locker. Upon checking his bag, he realized that in his excitement he’d unfortunately forgotten his wallet at home. He dejectedly decided to keep his bag on under the guise of added weight training. Once he’d finished stretching, he adjusted the straps around his waist and took in a deep breath.

* * *

 

Throughout the past two weeks he managed to chart a four and a half kilometer jogging route — a little short of three miles. Starting from the station’s east exit, he moved out around the Shinobazu pond. The southernmost section was now partially covered in lotuses, hinting the onset of the summer season. Yamaguchi observed the group of mallard ducks that still waded through the pond as he jogged towards the Ueno Zoo. A young child started waving at him, and he shyly returned the gesture as he turned to exit the park.

An elderly couple greeted him when he passed by the Toshogu shrine, up on a short hill. He politely smiled at them, completely ignoring the fact that his chest felt like it was burning. When he felt that the couple was completely out of view, he immediately dropped his friendly grin and brought his hands over his knees. His shoulders rose and fell as he heaved deep breaths before chugging down some water. He thanked his stars that he was at least able to bring a bottle with him, otherwise he felt like he could have collapsed then and there.

Once he’d regained some of his strength back, he started to pace himself slower upon bitterly realizing that he no longer had the stamina of his high school years. The faint sound of gorillas in the distance seemed to encourage him to keep running.

 

 

The trees began to rustle rather violently as he passed by the junior high school where he worked. When it started to drizzle, it didn’t come as a surprise, and Yamaguchi believed that he could persevere through the light rain. However, by the time he’d clocked his fifth mile it had started to rain so violently that he decided to take a detour to the nearest building -- the National Museum of Nature and Science. It was a rather old brick building that reminded Yamaguchi of hot summer days and school field trips. He couldn’t even remember when he’d last set foot inside. He would’ve wanted to take a look but without any money on hand, Yamaguchi decided to pass the time by messing on his phone. He leaned against the stonewall entrance, and mentally debated whether he should just head home.

The thunder roared and the air smelled damp, and a young man in the distance just had his umbrella flipped inside out due to a sudden gust. By the museum entrance, a young boy huddled close to his mother crying, “I’m scared!” as the woman fussed to discipline her smaller daughter as well. The little girl was running around in excitement, unperturbed by the forces of nature that brought her older brother to tears. Another peal of thunder brought the boy to a sobbing mess and his mother rushed to comfort him, and the rumble surprised the young girl that she tripped on the hem of her dress.

It was like everything was in slow motion. Yamaguchi could pinpoint the specific moment in time when the girl’s mortified look turned into that of confusion as her world suddenly tilted at an angle. While his eyes caught on, Yamaguchi’s reflexes didn’t catch up quite as quickly. The fatigue had already started to catch up to his body and it wasn’t reacting as fast as he’d wanted. As he stretched his hands towards her, she’d already landed in someone else’s arms. She clumsily got back on her own feet, apprehensively stared at her saviour as she mumbled her thanks, and quickly ran back towards her mother. 

Yamaguchi had kept his eyes on the girl throughout the whole spiel. When he looked back to the spot where she had slipped, the first thing he caught sight of were the tiny droplets of water that peppered the cobblestone floor, followed by the waterlogged pair of sneakers that stood in the center of the puddle, to the head of soaked yet strikingly familiar hair.

“What happened to you?” Yamaguchi half-shouted as he assessed the blond before him.

“Something pathetic, obviously,” Tsukishima droned as he wiped his eyeglasses on his drenched shirt. When he realized how futile his efforts were, he sighed and shook his head. “Do you have something I can wipe this with?”

 “I do,” Yamaguchi answered as he retrieved a face towel from his backpack. He handed it to Tsukishima and noticed the damp umbrella he’d tucked in his arm.

Tsukishima must’ve noticed him looking since he said, “Two of its ribs broke on my way here. Thanks again.”

“Oh, is this the one I gave you? No wonder it looked familiar,” Yamaguchi said. “Too bad it wasn’t able to fulfill its purpose until the end.”

“It was able to serve me well. If you hadn’t given it to me that first time, I don’t know how I would’ve gone home,” Tsukishima shrugged. “You don’t look like you’re here to visit the museum, but you’ve been standing out here for some time now, haven’t you?”

“I only meant to go jogging around the park today but the rain’s making it impossible,” Yamaguchi sighed. “Are you going in?”

“I’m supposed to,” the blond hummed, “but I don’t think they’d let me in this time.”

 “…’This time’?” Yamaguchi asked, clearly puzzled.

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’d walk in there drenched,” he confessed. “I don’t want to walk in there soaked to the bone again either. I’d probably just ask a co-worker to bring another shirt for me,” he thought out loud.

“If it’s clothes you’re looking for, maybe you’d be fine with borrowing some of mine?” Yamaguchi unwittingly suggested, and tensed up after he realized what he had just said.

“Eh, don’t you think they’d be a bit small for me?” the taller boy raised an eyebrow. 

Yamaguchi waved his arms before him and scrambled for something to say. “That wouldn’t be a problem! I brought some baggy gym clothes so I’m sure they’ll fit you,” he said in a panic. Yamaguchi immediately unclasped the bag lock around his waist and took off the straps from his shoulders.

Tsukishima set his lips into a straight line as he thought about the offer. “I guess it beats having to spend money on another damn souvenir shirt.”

As they walked inside the museum, the security guards regarded Tsukishima with fondness and familiarity.

“Will you ever learn?” one of them jeered, slapping his thigh as he let out a laugh. His short stature was made even more apparent as he went over to frisk Tsukishima’s pockets. The security guard asked if the two of them were companions, and when Tsukishima affirmed their suspicions, he immediately acquainted himself with the dark-haired boy. 

“Nishinoya-san,” Tsukishima called for their attention. A trickle of rain water directed their gaze from his cheek to his mouth curved in an impatient frown.

“Ah, I’m sorry for keeping you,” the security guard smiled as he handed Yamaguchi his guest pass.

The sleek interiors of the museum were beautiful, but Yamaguchi barely had the time to appreciate them. They made a bee line for the restrooms, where Tsukishima immediately went for the sink, took off his top, and wrung his shirt by the sink. 

“Do you come here often?” Yamaguchi asked, curious over the guards’ behavior.

“Yeah, considering I work here,” Tsukishima said.

“I thought you were a student?”

“I am,” the blond deadpanned.

 “I see,” Yamaguchi hesitantly replied as he handed his bag to Tsukishima. The freckled boy was shaking, and he couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or from the leftover nervousness, but Tsukishima grabbed the bag quickly enough that he didn’t notice the other’s skittishness. “There’s a plastic bag inside, you could use it for your wet clothes.”

“Okay,” Tsukishima droned. He turned to walk towards a cubicle and opened its doors, but stopped midway from entering it. With his hand still on the cubicle lock, he looked back to Yamaguchi. “What colour are they?”

Yamaguchi was confused by the concern, but answered anyway. “You mean the clothes? The shirt’s white,” he paused, “and I think I packed black sweats.”

The blond furrowed his brows and nodded. “So you’re not sure about the pants?”

 “Why? Is there a certain dress code for your work attire?” Yamaguchi questioned, putting his hands in his pockets as he tilted his head. He slightly leaned against the sink, and the bright lights overhead left harsh shadows on his clothing.

Tsukishima adjusted his eyeglasses, pushing the nosepiece with his index finger as he scrunched up his nose. “Well, I’m not exactly sure if it’s against dress code,” he spoke slowly, dragging out the syllables in soft whispers. Yamaguchi instinctively leaned closer, craning his neck to meet the other’s gaze while still maintaining the distance between them. Tsukishima scratched the back of his neck as he turned to look back into the restroom stall and continued, “but it’d probably be an issue if I paid homage to that guy at the park last time.”

Yamaguchi gaped at him, and his face contorted from confusion to that of amused disbelief. He wanted to laugh but quickly pursed his lips, since the worry in Tsukishima’s voice didn’t sound like the situation was worth making fun of. Yet. “Well, I don’t own anything in your skin colour,” Yamaguchi tried to say in all seriousness.

The blond said nothing as he finally closed the door of the stall, and when he finally reemerged from the cubicle now decked in a thin shirt and cotton pants, Yamaguchi suddenly felt concerned. The pants were already a pretty slim fit on him, but on Tsukishima it looked too close for comfort.

 “Tsukki, you didn’t borrow my underwear, did you?”

 Tsukishima was so offended that he forgot to correct his name. “Of course not, what kind of a person do you take me for?”

 “But then wouldn’t yours be all soggy now? Don’t tell me you’re not wearing anything underneath those pants,” Yamaguchi’s voice practically raised an octave.

 “What if I was? Ok, no, you look like you’re about to pass out. Get a grip, I’ve still got my boxers on,” the blond assured.

 “I’ll take your word for it, then.”

 “How should I give back your clothes then, Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima asked once the two of them were outside of the restroom.

 Yamaguchi was surprised at the sudden mention of his name. “I could come pick it up after work next week.”

 “You don’t need to trouble yourself any more about it,” Tsukishima countered. “Besides, I don’t own a dryer, and with how the weather’s been like recently it’d probably take a while before I’d get them ready.”

 “I see,” Yamaguchi replied as he matched his pace with the other’s walking. “It’s all right, I’m not in a hurry to get them back anyway.”

 “I’m headed upstairs to look for my co-worker. Since it’s still raining out, you could tag along if you’d like,” Tsukishima offered.

 Yamaguchi hesitated. “I don’t know… would it even be fair to go around when I didn’t even pay the entrance fee?”

 “Why would you be worried about that?” Tsukishima laughed. “You are a ‘guest’ here, after all,” he added as an afterthought.

 

* * *

 

When they finally found his co-worker, the two acquaintances were on the escalator riding up to the second floor while the other scrambled to hop off of the one that was bringing her down to the first. The three of them walked over to a nearby seating area, but upon seeing that it was crowded, they went to a corner and stood around in a loose albeit awkward circle.

“I thought you said you wanted to meet at the entrance,” said a blonde haired girl with the name “Yachi Hitoka” on her name tag. She had been furrowing her brow while on the escalator, but when she caught sight of Tsukishima her expression visibly loosened up in shock. “Anyway, here’s the latest mock-up for the pamphlets. The other guys have already checked it out and asked for some changes in the copy writing, so if you have any other suggestions please let me know,” she grinned.

Tsukishima quickly skimmed through the booklet. He explained to Yamaguchi that he’d already seen numerous variations of it. Even with all the adjustments that Yachi had made, he deduced that they were probably too meticulous and minuscule since his untrained eyes could barely tell the difference between the updates.

“Attention to detail is important for graphic designers, right?” Yamaguchi said.

“Of course!” Yachi beamed as she proudly placed her hands on her hips. “God is in the details, isn’t it?”

“Everything looks visually balanced,” Tsukishima commented, passing the pamphlet for Yamaguchi to look at. “I think it should be ready for printing soon, then.”

“Yeah, the higher ups are really pushing to have them printed by next week. It’s really putting pressure on me, but I’m glad that it’s almost over with,” Yachi sighed as she brought her hand to her forehead. “Are you sure you’ve got no other comments about it? Anything’s fine.”

Tsukishima frowned as he looked over Yamaguchi’s shoulder to appraise the pamphlet once more. “The longer that I look at it, the spacing of the headers does start to look a bit off,” Tsukishima replied.

“Doesn’t it? I thought I was just overthinking, but now that you’ve mentioned it I guess I should rework the kerning for it a bit more. Thanks for the input,” the girl nodded enthusiastically. “Who might you be, by the way?” Yachi smiled as she turned towards Yamaguchi. She looked at his ‘Guest’ name tag before craning her neck up to meet his gaze. “Will you be working with us anytime soon?” 

“Oh, no, I’m just visiting,” Yamaguchi looked flustered as he folded the pamphlet and returned it to the girl, and they both took turns in introducing themselves. 

“I see. I could’ve sworn that you were just being shown around since I’ve never seen this guy bring friends along!” Yachi explained.

“You graphic designers are too cooped up in front of your computers to notice anything that happens around you,” Tsukishima scoffed.

“You’re too mean,” the girl whined. “You better not get influenced by this guy,” she huffed as she warned Yamaguchi.

“Oh, but you’d be surprised,” the blond commented.

“What do you mean?” Yamaguchi asked, and Yachi echoed his questioning.

“It’s nothing, really.”

“No, go on, I really didn’t get what you meant,” Yachi said as she tilted her head to the side.

Tsukishima raised a brow at Yamaguchi as he replied, “It’s just that this guy isn’t as nice as he looks.”

The freckled boy squinted his eyes at the comment. “What?”

“Well, you’re still nicer than me, don’t worry.”

Yamaguchi looked at the taller boy with a confused expression. “Is that supposed to be a compliment, Tsukki?”

“You two sure get along,” Yachi remarked as she turned to the freckled boy. “How about you? Do you have any comments about the pamphlet?”

“I’m really not in a position to say anything,” Yamaguchi said.

“It’s all right. I could use some feedback from someone looking at it with fresh eyes.” 

“Okay… well, it looks good, but --“

“But what?” Yachi whispered in a soft voice, her eyes wide in anticipation.

“I can’t quite shake the feeling that I’ve seen this drawing style before,” Yamaguchi said as he pointed to the small illustrations on the pamphlet.

“Is it bad?”

“No, it’s really good. I think I saw something similar in a zine before —“

“Wait, wait, wait, wait,” Yachi waved her hands before her face. “Excuse us for a bit.” She grabbed at the hem of Yamaguchi’s shirt and pulled him to the side, at a distance where she felt Tsukishima would not be able to hear them. “What zine are you talking about?”

“I can’t really remember. It's been a while since I bought it,” Yamaguchi answered with a shrug.

“Can you remember what the drawing looked like?” Yachi spoke in hushed tones as beads of sweat started to form on her forehead.

“It was one of my favourites so of course I could remember,” Yamaguchi began. He attempted to gesticulate some of the elements of the illustration, but gave up and decided to try describing it through words instead. “It was by this artist called—“

“You remember who the artist was?” Yachi cut in.

“Of course. It was HitokaHime-sama,” Yamaguchi replied in a heartbeat.

Yachi brought her hands to her cheeks as she exclaimed, “But that’s me!" 

“What?!” 

“That’s me! I used to make fan art all the time — ah, actually I still do, but that’s kind of a secret I’ve never told anyone that I’ve professionally worked with and I don’t really want them to know about it,” Yachi rambled on that she started to jumble her words. “I mean, I’m pretty sure the things I’ve made could put a damper on my pathetic excuse of a professional image, or whatever’s left of it anyway… What if they found out that I’ve been using the museum’s exhibits and visitors as artistic references? Could they sue me? Would I get fired? What if word goes out and I’d get shunned from the designing community for good? Graphic designing is all I have going for me and I have no plan B to fall back on…” 

“For real? You’re serious? You’re HitokaHime? I’m pretty sure I’ve purchased most of your work—“ 

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Tsukishima loomed over them. “You’re being so noisy.”

“It’s nothing! Nothing. Really.” Yachi elbowed Yamaguchi’s side, but due to their difference in height she only managed to nudge at his hip. Tsukishima just looked at the two of them with a bored expression. “You know what, why don’t we just talk again next time?” Yachi reached into her wallet to retrieve a crisp business card and handed it Yamaguchi. “If you ever need anything designed, you can hit me up too!”

Obligated by her deadline and fueled by her embarrassment, Yachi had to leave the two behind. Once she was out of sight, Yamaguchi smiled to himself. “She’s pretty cute, don’t you think?” 

“Really?” Tsukishima spoke monotously.

The two of them walked aimlessly, eventually retracing their steps back to where they started. The sitting area was still a bit crowded, but the two of them were able to relax on two newly vacated seats. 

“Were those pamphlets for the tours?” Yamaguchi asked.

“Yes. My opinion about them doesn’t really matter since I’m just one of the volunteer tour guides, but she just insists on getting all of us involved,” Tsukishima shook his head. “It’s just a part of her creative process, she says.”

“That sounds nice,” Yamaguchi said. “Which of the tours are you in charge of?”

“It’s called the ‘Big Things Tour’. Mostly just the dinosaurs and the solar system exhibits.”

Yamaguchi laughed. “That suits you.” Tsukishima opened his mouth to comment, but Yamaguchi continued speaking. “How long have you been working here?”

“I started volunteering for a bit during spring break.”

“Will you be having a tour today?” the freckled boy asked.

“In a few hours, yeah.”

“I should probably get going then. I have to go to a meeting this afternoon, so I need to get a change of clothes at home,” Yamaguchi explained.

 “Sure,” Tsukishima said as both of them stood up from their seats. Yamaguchi paused to dust off his clothing before walking towards the escalators. “Would you mind it if I asked for your phone number?” Tsukishima asked. “That way it’d be easier for me to contact you when I could return your clothes,” he quickly added. 

“Not at all,” Yamaguchi replied. Tsukishima passed his phone to him and looked on as Yamaguchi dutifully typed out his details. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you then!”

The taller boy nodded and they exchanged goodbyes. Yamaguchi walked away, turning to wave to Tsukishima as he got on the escalator. The blond mentioned something, but Yamaguchi was too far away to really catch on to it.

“Come again?” Yamaguchi turned to face Tsukishima. He was already halfway to the first floor.

“You should take a look around before you leave,” the blond announced.

“I don’t know,” the shorter boy shrugged. “I think I’d rather have you show me around next time,” he smiled. “See you around, Tsukki.”

Yamaguchi had already turned away before Tsukishima could respond.

 

* * *

 

Tsukishima made his way to the museum’s lounge, where his tour group would be meeting first. It was still a good hour before his shift, so he decided to stop by the souvenir shop on the same floor to ask the security guard for his spare uniform. It was a light grey vest with pale orange detailing and he only had to wear it over his own attire.

“You’re looking uncharacteristically laidback today,” Tanaka greeted him before he could even get off of the escalator.

“These aren’t my clothes,” Tsukishima groaned, already annoyed by the man’s overly expressive movements. The badge pinned to his chest read “Tanaka Ryuunosuke,” but a lot of the other staff members liked to regard him as “Chief," for certain reasons.

“Obviously,” Tanaka teased. “Do you plan on working in those?”

“Is it against dress code?” Tsukishima asked.

“The shirt is fine, but the pants might be a problem,” Tanaka rubbed his chin in thought. “I’d lend you one of mine but they’d be too short. Maybe you could borrow one of Kageyama’s. He’s about your size, isn’t he?” the guard suggested.

“I’d rather pass,” Tsukishima forced out a laugh. “Isn’t there anyone else I could ask?” 

“No. It’s your fault for being tall,” Tanaka eyed him menacingly. “You probably forgot to bring your vest today too, huh?”

“You know me too well, Chief. Can I borrow the spare?”

Tanaka’s eyes glossed over a bit, and his expression visibly softened. “I’ll go get it. You should go ask Kageyama for those pants first.”

“You’re too kind,” Tsukishima smirked as Tanaka walked away, seemingly in a daze. He begrudgingly walked towards the souvenir shop, already feeling exhausted from overhearing the conversation between the clerks inside.

“The museum’s been open for about an hour now, shouldn’t you two be working?” Tsukishima spoke loudly as he entered.

“I am working,” the shorter boy groaned, a fistful of fabric clenched in his grasp.

The man attached to the aforementioned garment squinted his eyes. “Rearranging the displays to only show what you like to endorse isn’t your job, Hinata.”

“Stop looking so scary, Kageyama,” Hinata cried. “They’re the bestsellers anyway, so shouldn’t it be okay to showcase them more?”

“Of course they’re selling! They’re the only ones you’ve been promoting,” Kageyama snapped back.

Tsukishima massaged his temples, deeply wishing that he had his headphones with him. Considering how loud the two were, he doubted even the best headphones could totally block them out.

“Oy, you two, what’s all this racket about?” Tanaka shouted. Almost immediately, Hinata returned to arranging items and Kageyama dejectedly walked over to his station behind the register. “Were you able to talk to him about the pants?” Tanaka turned towards Tsukishima.

“You saw how they were at it, right?” Tsukishima answered.

The security guard sighed. “Well, it’s fine. I asked the director about it and he says it’s all right as long as you don’t look too casual. Those pants look a tight enough fit to pass for fitted slacks.”

“If you say so,” the blond replied as he accepted the uniform vest from Tanaka.

“Where are you going? The tour should be starting soon,” Tanaka called out as Tsukishima walked over to the elevators. 

“I’ll be right back,” Tsukishima answered. He walked slowly across the floor, eyes wandering through the crowds of people. When he finally made his way to the entrance gate, he looked outside to see that it was still raining, just not as hard as it was when he had arrived.

“Looking for your friend?” asked a man that walked over to slap the blond by his lower back. Considering the placement of their hit, Tsukishima figured it was Nishinoya. “He’s already left.”

“Ok,” Tsukishima answered without turning to look at the security guard, feeling uncomfortable over the unexpected interaction.  “Did he have an umbrella with him?” 

“He sure did. He even shared it with a pretty lady that’s been standing out there for quite some time,” Nishinoya guffawed and slapped Tsukishima’s back even harder. “What a nice guy! You could definitely learn some moves from him.”

“Right,” Tsukishima murmured as he turned back into the museum, thoughts jumbled as he tried to remember his tour itinerary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brother commented that 4k+ words was pretty long for a single chapter, but it just didn't feel right to split this into two updates... anyway.........


	3. Connection

The next Friday afternoon, as Tsukishima stood defeated by the museum’s exit while waiting for the rain to let up, Nishinoya approached him with a smug look on his face. 

“You forgot to bring an umbrella again?” the security guard asked.

“It’s summer. It’s not supposed to be raining anymore, but clearly the weather hasn’t been so kind,” Tsukishima retorted.

“Not as kind as that friend of yours though. He probably saw this coming,” Nishinoya said as he passed an umbrella to Tsukishima.

“Did he leave this behind when he dropped by after lunch?” 

“No, but I was surprised to see you two coming here together,” Nishinoya said.

Tsukishima was surprised back then as well. He hadn’t expected to see Yamaguchi at a nearby food court, face brightening at the sight of him as he said, “Hi, Tsukki!” a little too loudly. Yamaguchi was with a female co-worker whose name he didn’t quite catch at first, but they both insisted that he should sit with them. Between indefinitely waiting for a free table and sharing a table with an acquaintance, he didn’t really have a reason to refuse. It was just a tad bit embarrassing to have been caught ordering strawberry beancurd. Yamaguchi and his co-worker were talking about work over lunch when the girl brought out some familiar looking pamphlets out of her bag. 

“Are those from the science museum?” Tsukishima had asked. The lady nodded. “I thought they weren’t getting displayed until next week,” he said to no one in particular. 

“Apparently Yachi-san accidentally gave these mock-ups instead of the official ones when they met last Saturday,” Yamaguchi explained as he picked up his utensils and began eating his food.

The lady left early since she had a class to lecture, but Yamaguchi had some time to spare and decided to walk with Tsukishima back to the museum. The blond had initially rejected the idea, but Yamaguchi wasn’t so weak-spirited as to cave in.

Nishinoya continued, “Your friend came back at around 3 o’clock, said he had some business with Yachi. When he left, the sky already started to cloud over, so he told me to give this to you in case it rained.”

“Did he tell you what his business was with Yachi?”

“Yes, actually.”

Tsukishima waited for a follow-up that never came. “Well, I’ll be leaving then.”

If not for the umbrella, Tsukishima would’ve been absolutely drenched by the time he’d reached the train station.

From Shinagawa station, Tsukishima walked a few roads down and passed by several side shops with summer promotion posters plastered on their windows. He made a detour inside a small secondhand bookstore, one that was obscured from the main street but was quite popular in the area. He wasn’t the type to admit feeling homesick, but to be surrounded by so many books certainly made him feel homey. He’d always visited bookstores with his brother when they were younger. Back then, he initially gravitated towards the comic books that his brother divulged in but he soon branched out to books that piqued his own curiosity.

Tsukishima examined the books that spanned the walls of the store, taking in its shapes and colours rather than concentrating on the titles.  He leisurely walked through the aisles, tracing his hands along the spines of well-worn paperbacks. He lingered around the non-fiction area, and finally decided on a hardbound book entitled “Feathered Dinosaurs.”

“Adding another one to the collection, eh?” the storeowner smiled as he packed Tsukishima’s purchase.

Tsukishima reached into his pocket to retrieve some paper bills. “You could never know too much about the same thing." 

“Well, if you end up liking it I could order some similar ones next time,” the man smiled as he said goodbye, and Tsukishima simply nodded and continued home.

 

* * *

 

In the recent years, Tsukishima had been working towards his dream of becoming a paleontologist. He was going to start earning his master’s degree soon, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling nervous about it. Spending his free time idly made him feel uneasy now, to the point that he decided to join a school circle and applied to volunteer at the National Science Museum — the place that harbored his love for science in the first place. Once he got the position back in February, he was finally able to persuade his parents to let him move out from the school dorm. He reasoned that if he’d stayed, the commute would have taken him longer. His parents agreed, saying that they also felt that Tsukishima could definitely use the change in scenery.

The apartment complex was nothing flashy. Its white exterior and glass windows looked almost gray under the stormy skies. The building had four levels, all frequently visited by the neighborhood cats. On the second floor, Tsukishima shared a medium-sized unit with one other occupant. When the blond entered their room, the place was awfully silent. The empty space in the shoe rack confirmed that his roommate wasn’t home yet. He switched his canvas shoes out for his room slippers and made his way to his bedroom.

The majority of the personal belongings he had out in the open were those related to his studies. His room was organized and sparsely decorated, so it seemed rather spacious for one tenant. The room had pale cream walls and maple coloured floors, the type that wasn’t actually real wood but sure looked the part anyway. While he didn’t intend on changing the rusty computer table and vomit green curtains that the previous user had left behind, he invested on a large futon, especially since the original single bed was a bit too small for his towering frame.

The boy carefully added the new book to his display shelf. He took out some of the ones he’d already read and separated them to return back to his parent’s house for storage and safekeeping. Tsukishima pulled at his collar, feeling rather sticky from being out in the rain. He decided to take a quick shower and walked over to his cabinet to retrieve a new towel, only to see that he was running out of clean clothes to wear. Upon unloading his hamper unceremoniously on the floor, a pair of unfamiliar sweatpants stood out on top of the pile. That was the first thing he packed in his duffel bag.

 

* * *

 

“Is that you, Tsukishima? Welcome back,” Tsukishima’s roommate called out the moment the blond entered the room. The room smelled of spices and cooked meat, and it was enough to stimulate Tsukishima’s appetite. “Our meeting ran later than usual so I was pretty sure that you’d be home before me. Where have you been?”

“Just the laundromat,” the blond answered.

“Is it still raining outside?”

“It’s pouring.” Tsukishima took off his shoes and put them away. He made a mental note to get Yamaguchi’s umbrella once it finished drying in the rack outside.

“Ah, that’s problematic,” his roommate sighed.

 After Tsukishima slipped on some room slippers, he slung his duffel bag around his shoulder and walked over to the kitchen to see his roommate cooking more food than usual.

“Are you having someone over again?” Tsukishima asked.

“Yeah, we weren’t able to finish outlining our proposal again today, what with all our other obligations. I wonder if they’d be able to make it here with all this rain. Maybe we should just reschedule…”

“Haven’t you been talking about that proposal for a few days now? You sure have been taking your time,” Tsukishima smirked as he walked over to the cupboard and turned to his roommate to ask how many sets he needed to prepare.

“You should join us at the table, Tsukishima. Maybe you could even suggest some ideas,” they chirped.

“Ok,” he mumbled under his breath. He laid place mats on the table and eyed the large pot of curry on the stove. “You’re really going all out on the preparations.” His roommate worried that he may have cooked way too much, but Tsukishima assured that there was nothing wrong with eating leftovers for the rest of the week. 

When the doorbell rang, Tsukishima offered to open it considering how his roommate was still preoccupied. However, they insisted on doing it themselves since Tsukishima might end up scaring them off. “This one’s a little shy, so be nice,” they advised. 

Tsukishima stood up from his seat at the dining table. He entered the kitchen to retrieve the curry his roommate had prepared, transferring it into a serving bowl.

“Good evening, Sugawara-san,” a soft voice greeted. “Thanks for having me over.”

“No problem, I’m sorry you had to come here despite the rain!” 

When Tsukishima passed through the hallway, he caught a glimpse of the two co-workers in the living room, but paid them no mind. He set down the bowl of curry and plopped in a serving spoon.

“Oh, Shimizu said she wouldn’t be able to join us tonight, so we’d just have to finalize things with her in the morning,” Sugawara continued. “Before we get to work, why don’t we have some dinner first?”

Tsukishima could hear their footsteps in the distance. He had his back turned against the entryway, and he focused on his hands folded on the table. The longer he sat there looking and smelling the food, the more he realized just how hungry he was.

Sugawara’s voice echoed louder every passing moment. “I hope you wouldn’t mind my roommate joining us for the meal.”

When Tsukishima felt his roommate’s presence behind him, he sighed in gratitude. Finally, they’d be able to eat soon.

“This is my roommate, Tsuki--“

“Eh, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima turned from his seat to see the same freckled boy he’d shared a meal with earlier that day. “Yamaguchi?”

“You two are friends? That makes things easier for me then,” Sugawara smiled. He motioned Yamaguchi to take a seat and urged everyone to eat as much as they wanted. “How do you two know each other?”

“I can’t really say for certain,” Tsukishima replied as he poured some water into his glass.

“We just keep bumping in to each other at the park recently, and one thing led to another I guess,” Yamaguchi added.

“At the park? Isn’t that a bit far from your school?” Sugawara turned to ask Tsukishima.

“It’s close to the museum where he works,” Yamaguchi answered before the blond could say anything. 

“Huh. How come I’ve had no idea of this even when I’ve been living with you for so many months now?” Sugawara raised an eyebrow at Tsukishima. “But I guess that explains all the souvenirs you have lying around.”

“I ran into Shimizu-san there last week, too. She even asked me to get more details about the museum events today,” Yamaguchi recounted. “It might be a good idea to drop by there for the trip.”

“Oh yeah, she talked about that this afternoon, too,” Sugawara mentioned as he plopped some rice on his plate. “The exhibits are relevant to the topics we’d be covering next semester, so we could count it as one of our stops instead and just branch out from there.”

“I thought work discussions weren’t allowed at the dinner table,” Tsukishima commented.

“It could wait then,” the freckled boy laughed nervously.

“Would we be able to get a discount for group tours?” Sugawara continued anyway, and the blond simply nodded. “That could definitely help everyone out. Either way, we just have to finish mapping out the whole event tonight.”

Once they had finished eating, Tsukishima volunteered to clean up the dishes as Sugawara and Yamaguchi walked over to the living room to brainstorm. The two teachers’ chattering echoed into the kitchen, and slowly their conversation transitioned from laboratories, to tourist spots, to what application they used to edit their photos.

When Tsukishima walked in on them while on his way to his room, Sugawara was leaning on the wall across from the dark-haired boy. “It’s Yamaguchi’s first time visiting, so let’s commemorate it!” he said as Yamaguchi set up the camera on his phone.

“You never let me join in with you when Daichi comes over though,” Tsukishima deadpanned.

“Daichi-san? As in our year level coordinator? Does he come here for meetings, too?” Yamaguchi asked innocently as he made room for Tsukishima to sit next to him on the lone sofa in their sitting area. The blond still stood by the room’s entryway, unmoving.

“Eh, they never really sound like they’re working,” Tsukishima sneered.

“Daichi isn’t exactly a mutual friend of ours, so it never really crossed my mind,” Sugawara flustered out an explanation. “You’re welcome to hang out with us the next time he comes over.” The light-haired boy walked over to his roommate and placed a hand on his back, but Tsukishima wouldn’t budge. 

“What are you doing?” the blond looked apprehensive, and the way Sugawara was purposely blocking the entryway only seemed suspicious rather than reassuring. 

“Come on, join in for a photo.” 

“What? No. No way,” Tsukishima’s eyes widened at the thought. “If this is your way of diverting the attention to me, then that’s playing dirty, Sugawara-san.”

“What’s so bad about having your picture taken? Come on, humor me and our guest for a bit,” Sugawara strained to say as he tried to push Tsukishima back into the room but was met with constant resistance.

“Sugawara-san, I really don’t want to,” Tsukishima practically whined.

“It’s just a harmless selfie, we’re not going to use this for your funeral,” Sugawara muttered.

“That sounds vaguely threatening.”

“You know, we don’t really have to, Sugawara-san,” Yamaguchi nervously exclaimed. It was the second time he’d suggested scrapping the photo session, but the other two were too preoccupied to notice him.

“Tsukishima, you wouldn’t want to be rude to your friend now, would you? Just this once. Just one photo. I won’t even be part of it. Would you please go on that couch and sit still for one godforsaken picture?” Sugawara hissed, the strain of keeping up with Tsukishima’s resistance was starting to cause his arms to ache.

“You wouldn’t be joining us?” Tsukishima asked.

“Yeah, we already took photos of our own,” Sugawara forced a laugh. “Besides, the sofa’s far too small for all three of us. Now just go already, I need to go check something on my laptop.”

After all the fanfare, Tsukishima apathetically walked over to sit next to Yamaguchi. The blond’s face looked bored at best, but his body language felt awfully tense.

“Tsukki, we don’t—“

“Let’s just get it over with.”

Yamaguchi held up his phone and angled it away from himself. There was little room for error, and Yamaguchi had to lean in closer to Tsukishima just to fit into the frame.

“Ah, Tsukki, this is no good,” Yamaguchi sighed sadly.

“Why not?”

Yamaguchi passed his phone to Tsukishima and said, “I’m sorry, Tsukki! You ended up getting a bit cut off,” He felt slightly panicked upon seeing Tsukishima’s unamused expression.

“It looks fine to me, though,” Tsukishima said as he motioned to stand up from his seat.

“Wait, wait, let’s try it one more time.”

“Just one more then.”

 

“What? Shouldn’t eyeglasses have an anti-glare in this day and age? One more, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi complained as he tugged Tsukishima back down onto the couch.

Tsukishima sighed in annoyance. “If you really want to take the photo, why don’t we just move someplace with different lighting?”

Yamaguchi glanced away and pouted, “Sugawara-san said this room had the best lighting, though…”

Tsukishima squinted, as if to say “What does that even mean?” but he was really just squinting because things got a little blurry all of a sudden. He was confused for a moment, but then Yamaguchi’s laughter rang in his ears.

“You look really different, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi grinned. The blond stared at him in annoyance. He noticed how Yamaguchi’s nose scrunched up slightly as his smile widened, but Tsukishima frowned. “You wouldn’t mind compromising a bit, would you?" 

Tsukishima’s eyes focused on Yamaguchi’s. “Why? Why would you do that? I could have taken them off on my own.”

“Let’s just go at it one at a time then,” Yamaguchi said as he set up the camera once more. He meticulously angled the camera, and Yamaguchi even pulled Tsukishima closer to ensure that he’d fit in the shot this time. The camera’s shutter clicked. When Yamaguchi pulled it in to inspect the photograph, he sighed before letting out a laugh, the kind you’d expect from someone trying to make light of something that really disappointed them. “I’m done. We’re through. You’re really mean, Tsukki. I can’t believe you closed your eyes.” 

“I couldn’t see clearly so I couldn’t time my blinking,” Tsukishima explained.

 “Why don’t you take the picture then? If you mess it up this time, let’s just give it a rest,” Yamaguchi suggested.

Tsukishima resisted at first, but Yamaguchi was determined to get him to do it. The blond nervously raised the camera up but felt unsure of himself. “I can’t see where I’m angling it.”

“I’ll help you out then, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi proposed as he adjusted the camera.

The freckled boy inched even closer, his shoulder slightly resting on Tsukishima’s chest. Tsukishima awkwardly counted down from three to one before taking the picture. It was a bit off-focus, but thankfully still salvageable.

Sugawara watched them from the other side of the room, unsure of how to make his presence known.

“I’m never having my picture taken with you again. Your standards are too high,” Tsukishima stood up from the sofa and continued his journey to his room while readjusting his eyeglasses onto his head.

“Thanks anyway, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi called out as Sugawara awkwardly joined him on the sofa, and the two teachers went back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this, all the major characters for this fic have been introduced!
> 
> If all goes well, I'll be uploading the next chapter in two or three days! Thanks everyone for your support ;__; This is the second fic I've ever written so it's been a pretty nervous ride for me, so I really appreciate all your kind words!


	4. Golden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't realized this fic was getting pretty long... but hey, they do say that it takes 30 days for something to become routine! As things are, we're already nearing the halfway point of the story. I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far! ^u^

The moment he entered his bedroom, Tsukishima immediately sat by his laptop. He put on his headphones and rested his hands at the back of his head, his eyes wandering towards the bookshelves overhead. He glanced out his window to see the harsh storm outside. Just as he reached out to grab something from the shelf, he got an e-mail from Ennoshita. “Don’t forget about our meeting tomorrow,” it read.

While it was true that his classes hadn’t formally started yet, he was already pretty busy with school circle activities. It was more of a hobby club than anything, but during their vacation breaks their group would join open competitions and use the prize money to fund their projects in the next semester. Tsukishima sighed, resigning to reading the new book he’d just purchased earlier that day. Every now and then he would massage his temples in an attempt to ward off a dull headache.

A knock on the door broke Tsukishima out of his mechanical state, that “zone” where he’d operate on autopilot and seemingly read nonstop for hours on end. He stood and turned to the door, getting tangled up by his headphones in the process. Not only did he forget to take them off, he didn’t even play music through them in the first place.

“Tsukishima, are you still up?” he heard Sugawara call from outside. Once he’d set his headphones back on the table, the blond walked over to open the door. “It’s pretty late and it’s still raining out, so I told Yamaguchi that he could stay the night. May he sleep in your room?”

“Why? You’re always using the guest futon in yours,” Tsukishima raised an eyebrow.

His roommate tensed up. “Well, when Daichi came over the other day, it got kind of… you know… it got a bit messed up, and with the weather the way it is right now, it still hasn’t fully dried out yet.” Sugawara played with the hem of his shirt and awkwardly smiled at Tsukishima. “I can’t let Yamaguchi sleep on our tiny couch, either. He’s too tall.”

Tsukishima massaged his temples and felt his headache worsen. He’d lost sleep over his roommate’s noise in the past, but he’d never experienced getting a bad headache over it. Was it from stress? But stress from what? The room started to feel stuffy. “Then you could sleep on the couch,” he retorted.

“And what are you implying?” Sugawara huffed.

“Nothing,” Tsukishima glanced away from his roommate. “I guess I’ll be able to manage.”

“Ok, good. I owe you one, then. He’s taking a shower now, so I hope you’d lend him some of your clothes.”

“What?”

“He’s closer to your size, isn’t he? And besides, you just got your laundry done and I’m already running low on clothes,” Sugawara shrugged. “Thanks, Tsukishima,” his roommate grinned as he walked out towards his own room.

 

* * *

 

 

When Yamaguchi entered Tsukishima’s bedroom wrapped in a white bathrobe, his scent immediately filled the room. It was a blend of coconut and fresh mint, like that of Sugawara’s shampoo mixed with Tsukishima’s own bath soap. His damp hair stuck to his skin, making him look like a wet puppy. The wide-eyed look and large grin he sported when Tsukishima handed him his clothes only complimented that mental image.

“I wasn’t expecting to get these back so soon,” Yamaguchi said as he slipped into a thin white shirt and black sweatpants.

“I just got them done at the laundry today, actually,” Tsukishima replied, eyes glued to the pages of his book. His eyes danced through the lines but the pain in his head made it hard to concentrate.

“Oh. Well, that worked out for me then,” Yamaguchi said.

“Would you have anything to wear for tomorrow?”

“I was planning on just wearing the same things,” Yamaguchi began. “I’d probably need to go out to buy some new underwear though.”

“I could get them for you,” Tsukishima turned to look at the freckled boy, who was now staring at him. “Well, you just took a bath and it’d be a waste for you to just get soaked in the rain.”

“Well, it’d be weird to have someone shopping for my underpants,” Yamaguchi mimicked Tsukishima’s tone of voice. “And you look like you’re busy, I wouldn’t want to be any more of a bother.”

“Let’s just go,” Tsukishima sighed as he stood from his seat.  He put on a black hoodie and handed Yamaguchi a jacket, and the shorter boy wordlessly obliged.

 

* * *

 

 

“Were you reading something for school?” Yamaguchi asked once the two of them were outside of the apartment. In their hands they held their own umbrellas, although technically they both belonged to Yamaguchi at one point. Tsukishima just shook his head. “It must be nice to have a summer break.”

“Not really,” Tsukishima said. He started to sneeze, and he covered his mouth with his forearm as he did. When he’d finally composed himself, he continued, “There’s no such thing as a summer break once you graduate anyway.”

“Well, you have a point,” Yamaguchi replied as he zipped the jacket all the way to his chest and shoved his free hand deep into its pockets. Even so, he still felt a little cold. “Doesn’t it make you miss the life you had back when you were younger?” Yamaguchi paused to step over a puddle. “Actually, never mind.”

Tsukishima asked what he meant by that, but Yamaguchi was quick to brush off the topic. The blond shrugged and didn’t pry any further, and he didn’t ask why Yamaguchi started to lag behind him. They took a shortcut through a poorly lit alleyway that was too narrow for them to keep their umbrellas open. Tsukishima turned to Yamaguchi and said, “Pull your hood up,” and the glow from a lone door lamp made Tsukishima’s hair shine like the moon on a starless night. Golden.

They walked without a care for the time, despite it being awfully close to closing hours. Once they reemerged onto the main street, Tsukishima got a call from Ennoshita reminding him about their meeting and complaining over why Tsukishima hadn’t responded to his message. As the taller boy talked over the phone, Yamaguchi fidgeted closer to him, bringing Tsukishima under his umbrella.

 

The rain had started to tone down a bit once they arrived at the store’s entrance, the smell of dirt and damp cement heavy in the air. The two of them agreed to go around on their own and to regroup at the coffee shop across the street after thirty minutes.

It was a complex that had several general merchandise stores inside of it, and Tsukishima mindlessly walked around the premises thinking the change of pace could serve as a breather to relieve his headache. He didn’t really have any reason to be at the shopping centre, and he quickly got bored of window-shopping. He started to watch the other people that passed by, but he found it difficult to even focus on anyone. His senses felt sluggish and disconnected, as though the sights he saw and the sounds he heard were different from what he expected them to feel like.

He decided to cool his head a bit and walked over to the coffee shop they had decided on earlier that evening. The strong smell of coffee beans that welcomed him was soothing. He was surprised to see Yamaguchi seated at the corner of the cafe, his mouth set in a shy smile as he waved Tsukishima over.

“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I just ordered what I thought you would,” Yamaguchi said as he hid away his phone. By the way he had angled it on the table just moments before, Tsukishima guessed that he might have been taking pictures again.

Tsukishima seated himself across Yamaguchi, his eyes fixated on the strawberry frappucino that lay innocently before him. He pursed his lips before any form of emotion threatened to show on his face.

“This is a little weather inappropriate, don’t you think?” the blond smirked as he turned his head towards the window.

“I know, but I didn’t want to get too caffeinated at this hour of day either. I still have to leave for work early tomorrow morning,” Yamaguchi replied as he shifted his eyes from Tsukishima and down to his own chocolate frappe. “But if you wanted some coffee, you could go order one if you’d like." 

“That’d be too much effort at this point,” Tsukishima commented with a wave of his hand. He watched the other boy now, observed the tenseness of their shoulders as they mixed the cream into their drink. Tsukishima started to stir his own cup as he watched how Yamaguchi’s bangs slowly started to fall out of place the longer he kept his gaze lowered.

The freckled boy brought the straw to his lips, meeting it halfway by slouching slightly forward. A sudden brush of fingers on his forehead startled him, returning the tenseness to his shoulders. Yamaguchi looked up to see Tsukishima staring intently at him, his left hand hanging mid-air as his right held his drink firmly on to the chocolate-coloured table.

Tsukishima pointed at Yamaguchi’s hair, not once stopping from sipping his drink. Yamaguchi slowly brought his fingers to his bangs, and rubbed at the moisture that accumulated at the tips. He visibly struggled, seeing as his efforts only made it spread. Tsukishima reached over to wipe at the foam that remained using a piece of tissue, and Yamaguchi flashed a shy smile in response.

“Thanks,” Yamaguchi said, finally lifting his head to look at Tsukishima. 

The blond shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d be done shopping so soon.”

“I just got what I needed and went straight to this place.” 

“You didn’t have to rush just because it’s closing time,” Tsukishima pointed out.

“Well, either way I didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Yamaguchi paused as he tilted his head to the side and looked at a group that just entered the shop. “You looked like you wanted to head back as soon as possible."

“How thoughtful of you,” Tsukishima said teasingly, but the way that he raised his chin and looked down at Yamaguchi’s hunched form made it seem like he was mocking him. “But the whole reason why I’m even out here is because I didn’t want to stay in that room.”

“Okay,” Yamaguchi practically shrunk into his seat. Tsukishima looked at his own reflection in the window, his eyes trailing the raindrops that trickled down the glass. The dull throbbing in his head grew more apparent in the silence.

 Every now and then, the shop door would open and the smell of rain would mix with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Yamaguchi slightly shifted in his seat, and soon enough he shrugged off the jacket that the other boy had lent him. The sudden movement from the corner of his eye caused Tsukishima to turn to him, and the other boy seemed pleased to finally have his attention. 

“How is it?” Yamaguchi asked, motioning towards Tsukishima’s cup with a jut of his chin.

“It’s nice."

When Yamaguchi processed what Tsukishima had just said, the shop door was very much closed, but the way that he smiled brought in a wave of fresh air. They talked a little more after that — about nothing too serious — and with every minute that went by, Tsukishima’s headache slowly started to fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys think my pacing is okay or am I dragging this way too much? I don't want to rush the relationship, but I wonder if I'm taking too much time getting there... hmm
> 
> The next update would take a little longer since I'd be busy with exams next week, but I should be able to put something up in time for the weekend! :)


	5. Ignition

“Where did you run off to last night?” Sugawara questioned as he prepared some breakfast. While waiting for the bread to toast, he decided to make some coffee as well. 

“Tsukki accompanied me to buy some things and we sidelined to a coffee shop afterwards,” Yamaguchi yawned. “We totally lost track of time.”

“It’s nice to know that you two enjoyed yourselves,” Sugawara smiled. The morning sun filled the room with a bright light. With Sugawara’s back turned towards the windows, the glow around this head looked like a halo. “I was pretty worried since I tried calling your phone but you weren’t picking up.” 

Yamaguchi brought his hands together as he apologized, “I’m so sorry! I only checked my phone this morning too. I have no idea if Tsukki even brought his phone with him.” 

“Where is he, by the way? It’s unusual for him to still be asleep.” 

“Ah, he said he’s got a headache and it’s still sore for him to move, so he wanted to take some more time to rest.” 

Sugawara almost spat out his coffee. “What? What exactly happened last night? Did you guys get drunk?”

“No, nothing of the sort happened,” Yamaguchi was quick to defend. “Tsukki’s been having headaches since last night, and I accidentally slept on his arm too, so that may just be the case. He says it’s probably nothing serious.”

“Hmm, do you think it could be a migraine?” Sugawara thought out loud. “Well, either way it might be bad if he doesn’t get up soon. He usually leaves by this time on the weekends.”

“Is it for work? Isn’t it a bit too early for the museum to be open?”

“I don’t really know the details,” Sugawara smiled weakly.

“Oh,” Yamaguchi lowered his head to observe the coffee Sugawara had prepared for him. He gulped it all down. “I’m going to go wash up for a bit. Could you remind me to get these later?” Yamaguchi said as he emptied the contents of his pockets onto an end table. He put down some loose change, a packet of gum, and his set of keys. He would have done this in the bathroom if he hadn’t dropped his keys into the un-flushed toilet when he did his business the night before.

“Sure thing,” the older boy replied, his smile a balance of sincere and sympathetic.

 

* * *

 

 

The puddles had long dried off the sidewalk, and the humid air left Yamaguchi’s skin feeling warm and sticky. His hair was damp with sweat and smelled of the sun. The downpour from the night before felt like a distant memory in contrast to the sweltering heat, and the stuffy teachers' lounge did not help to alleviate the boy’s discomfort. 

“How about you, Yamaguchi?” Sugawara called out from across the science department’s cubicle.

“What is it?”

“I’m going downstairs to buy some refreshments. Would you want me to get something for you?”

“Yes! Yes, please,” Yamaguchi whined as he slammed his lesson planner shut. “Ah, but I left all my spare change at your house, Sugawara-san.”

“Oh, sorry! I totally forgot to remind you about that. Your drink will be my treat then,” Sugawara smiled.

“You’ve been forgetting to bring your money along quite a lot lately,” Shimizu commented as she took out a wallet from her bag. She counted a few coins before passing them over to Sugawara.

“That reminds me, I still haven’t paid you back for that train ride,” Yamaguchi sighed. “I promise to repay you when we meet up again next week.”

“What’s this about?” Sugawara raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think it’s a little rude to be asking Shimizu for money, Yamaguchi?”

“It’s all right. I owed him for lending his umbrella to me that time, too,” Shimizu said. “You don’t need to worry about paying me back.”

“If you guys keep being nice to Yamaguchi, you’ll make it hard for him to leave next year,” Daichi, their year level coordinator, commented as he walked over to Sugawara. “I overheard you were getting drinks. I’m headed to the director’s office right now, why don’t we head down together?”

“Okay,” Sugawara replied with a grin. “But really, Yamaguchi, it’d be nice if you didn’t have to leave. You should think about it!” he waved his hand as he turned his attention to Daichi and walked out of the science department area.

Yamaguchi forced a laugh and hunched his shoulders over his desk. He brought his hands over to the crown of his head and ruffled his hair.

“Stressed out?” Shimizu chuckled from her side of the room.

“Not really,” Yamaguchi said as he rubbed the tip of his nose in a swift motion. “The heat’s just getting to me.” 

“The weather really is uncomfortable,” the girl said as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “It doesn’t help that it’s extra tough for our department this year since our science department celebration starts right after the semester begins.”

“Well, at least Daichi-san finally accepted our proposal,” Yamaguchi replied. “Now all that’s left is the director’s. From your experience, is he an easier hurdle to get over?”

“Yes, so we’re pretty much settled,” Shimizu assured. “Now all that’s left is to set up the appointments for all the venues we’ll be visiting, as well as to make the props and printed paraphernalia.”

“I’m really not looking forward to that,” Yamaguchi confessed.

“We could always ask for some help.”

“From whom?” the freckled boy asked, eyeing all the empty desks that occupied their area. Most of their co-workers were either off on vacation or down with the flu, and the science club members were busy preparing for a national summer camp and weren’t going to be available until a few days before classes started.

“I have someone in mind,” Shimizu said.

When Sugawara finally returned to their department, he wore a big smile on his face.

“Now our real work begins,” Sugawara said as he passed around everyone’s drinks. The three teachers raised their cans to celebrate the director’s approval of their science event’s lineup. “Let’s call it a day. Don’t forget that I still need to check all of your lesson plans by next Friday, too.”

Yamaguchi sighed. “Fine.”

Since they’d finished earlier than he’d expected, Yamaguchi decided that he could use his free time to exercise again. The noontime sun was not a force to be trifled with, but the trees that loomed over Ueno Park graciously kept him under their shade. Jogging in the early afternoon would have proved to be a problem, and the freckled boy mentally noted that it would probably be for the best to head out just in time for the sunset.

“Ah, it’s you!” a young girl’s shriek caught Yamaguchi off guard. What was even more terrifying was that the girl was apparently pointing at him, causing the attention of the other park bystanders to turn to them. When his shock began to subside, he finally managed to turn his fear into recognition.

“Yachi-san, are you feeling ok?”

“Oh, yeah, I was just surprised to see you here,” the girl smiled sheepishly. They were both walking in the same direction, and before them was a fork road that lead to different areas of the park. “If you’re going to the museum to see Tsukishima, why don’t we walk together?” Yachi said as she pointed towards the direction of her workplace.

“No, I’m headed home right now,” Yamaguchi replied. “But… uh, who’s ‘Tsukishima’?”

“Eh?” Yachi stared at the other boy and started to fidget. Yamaguchi looked at her expectantly, which only made the girl even more nervous and confused. “You know what, never mind that, Yamaguchi,” she forced a laugh as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Her movements caused her to loosen the grip she had on one of the packages she held closely to her chest. Yamaguchi barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground.

“Is this for work? I wouldn’t want to keep stalling you—“

“No! No. No, no,” Yachi worriedly dusted off the package and lightly shook it, seemingly inspecting its contents. Upon hearing nothing, she let out a sigh of relief. “Well, not all of these are for work. These are some mock-ups for a museum poster and some stuff I had made at the printer’s,” Yachi said as she raised the paper bags in her arms. “And this package is just something I ordered from a friend.”

“Wait. Is that what you were talking about on your blog last night?”

“You read that?” Yachi looked alarmed, but her expression quickly changed to excitement. “Yes! It’s that vintage Tikachu figurine!”

“Ah, you’re so lucky!” Yamaguchi exclaimed. “I always end up just seeing pictures of that model. I really doubt I’d be able to buy it even if I could see it in the flesh.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll post lots of pictures of it on my blog tonight!”

“Yachi-san, that sounds kind of…”

“Ah, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for it to sound bad,” Yachi flustered.

“Then are those other things for your shop?” Yamaguchi asked, and noted how Yachi had also mentioned them in her post.

“Yeah, they are,” Yachi responded with an embarrassed laugh. “I was looking over the orders last night and I saw your name.”

“If I get them now, does that mean I could get a refund for the delivery fee?” Yamaguchi joked.

“You can’t get them yet! I still have to repack them and all,” Yachi explained. “But you can get them next week. Just drop by the museum by lunch break!”

“Would Tuesday be okay?”

“That’s way too early!” Yachi squirmed. “Friday would be best, I think. I’ve still got other things to do, you know.”

“That’s practically a whole week from now, but that’s fine I guess,” Yamaguchi sighed. “Do you need some help carrying all those?” Yamaguchi worried as he looked on at Yachi struggling to juggle all of her luggage.

“No, it’s ok, I can manage, I think —“

The two stood in silence as they stared at the sheets littered on the ground and at the torn up paper bag that wilted lifelessly on Yachi’s arm.

“I… If you help me, I’ll treat you to something, then.”

 

* * *

 

“Let’s just drop these off at my office,” Yachi said as they snaked their way to the escalators. The security guard on duty, Nishinoya, had enthusiastically welcomed them into the museum and happily passed Yamaguchi his guest pass without much delay.

“Don’t you have colleagues that could’ve helped you out in picking these up, Yachi-san? This just seems like an awful lot for you to handle alone in one trip,” Yamaguchi asked.

“That’s true,” Yachi admitted, “but I didn’t want any of my co-workers to see the merchandise I printed out for my shop, either…”

“Ah, that would make sense,” the freckled boy agreed. Yachi lead him to the staff room, which was practically deserted for the lunch break. “I’ll be keeping this a secret from Tsukki too, then.”

Yachi smiled. “That’s so cute.”

“What is?” Yamaguchi asked as he set the pile of papers onto Yachi’s desk.

“That nickname you gave Tsukishima. It fits him, too, since he likes dinosaurs so much.”

 

“Eh? What did you say about Tsukki?” Yamaguchi looked genuinely confused.

 

“What about me?”

Yamaguchi turned around to see the blond he’d shared a bed with just the night before. The nametag slung around his neck read “Tsukishima Kei.”

“Tsukki! But you’re not… Tsukki?” Yamaguchi managed to sputter out.

“What?” Tsukishima raised an eyebrow at Yamaguchi and turned to Yachi for an explanation. “Did the heat get to his head?”

Yachi attempted to put into words Yamaguchi’s stiff and perplexed gestures. “I think he didn’t know your name’s Tsukishima…” 

“Ah,” Tsukishima tilted his head upwards in comprehension. “I’ve been meaning to correct him about that. I ended up getting used to it before I could remember to tell him about it. It’s not really a big deal.”

“It is a big deal! It’d feel too unnatural for me to call you Tsukishima at this point, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi worried.

“Somehow, the way you say Tsukishima is weird, Yamaguchi,” Yachi commented in a hushed tone.

“Then don’t. Just call me Tsukki,” Tsukishima said in monotone.

“Then can I call you Tsukki too, Tsukishima?” Yachi joked.

“No way,” Tsukishima glared.

“I was just kidding. You’re really too mean,” the girl cried. “Yamaguchi, we should probably get going. It’s still a bit early, but if we don’t hurry, the queue’s at the food court would be too unbearable for us.”

“Why don’t you join us, Tsukishi—Tsukki,” Yamaguchi blurted upon seeing the uncomfortable stares of his two companions.

“I’ll pass. I’m not really hungry.”

“I don’t plan on eating much, either. Just join us for some dessert,” Yamaguchi suggested. “My treat this time,” he added with a smile.

 

* * *

 

“Ah, I totally forgot that I left my coins at your place, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi confessed as he rummaged through his wallet for a smaller bill. 

“I can break that bill down for you,” Yachi said as she pointed to the boy's wallet. Yamaguchi had turned down Yachi’s offer to pay for his order, but she insisted on paying for herself.

Yamaguchi used the money to buy ice cream cones from a dessert stall, and the three of them walked through Ueno Park to head back to the museum. The tall trees provided some comfort, but the air felt heavy and humid. 

“Aren’t you feeling warm, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked as he pulled at the collar of his shirt.

Tsukishima shrugged as he tucked his hands into his hoodie’s pockets. “Not really.”

It wasn’t long until Yachi started complaining about being too tired and sticky to continue walking. She managed to convince the other two to rest by the boat pond. The west side of the Shinobazu Pond was bustling with couples and tourists riding boats. The three settled themselves on a bench that faced the water.

“Why don’t we ride that?” Yachi said as she pointed to the boats.

“What? Why should we? No way,” Tsukishima said.

“Don’t be such a killjoy, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi commented. “We probably can’t go today, though. It looks pretty busy, plus you guys don’t have much free time left.”

“You don’t have work this afternoon?” Tsukishima asked him.

“Yeah, Sugawara-san let us off early,” Yamaguchi smiled.

“You said you were a teacher, right, Yamaguchi?” Yachi questioned. The freckled boy hummed a response. “Wow, it’s amazing that you have the kind of patience for that. I could never see myself doing your work,” the girl replied as she kept her gaze fixated on the pond.

“Well, it’s not like I’ve ever imagined myself doing this, either,” Yamaguchi admitted.

“Did you want to be something else when you were growing up?” Yachi inquired.

“Well, I think… I’m still kind of figuring it out,” Yamaguchi answered as he took a bite of his ice cream. Tsukishima silently looked over at the two of them.

“Well, hopefully you’ll get to sort that out soon. If you choose to do something else in the future, at least now you know you’ve still got teaching to fall back on as a Plan B!” Yachi smiled.

“I guess you’re right,” the dark haired boy replied.

“Oh no,” Yachi blubbered to herself after a moment of silence. “It’s so adorable,” the girl said as she practically rushed to her feet to approach the pond. A mallard duck had inched close to the railings, and Yachi excitedly went over to pet it. Blinded by the promise of caressing something of such cuteness, Yachi failed to watch where she was going.

“Yachi-san, be careful —“ Yamaguchi lunged forward to catch Yachi the moment he saw her trip, but apparently he too was blinded from seeing the unleveled ground before him. He managed to catch Yachi in time, but if not for Tsukishima’s reflexes the both of them would’ve gotten well acquainted with the hot summer soil.

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m so sorry, Yamaguchi!” Yachi frowned as she wiped off the gunk that was smeared on Yamaguchi’s back. Her cotton handkerchief was smudged with pink cream. 

“It’s fine, Yachi-san,” Yamaguchi comforted her.

When Yachi finished cleaning up what she could, the ice cream stain on Yamaguchi’s shirt wasn’t as obvious anymore, but she still insisted on passing Yamaguchi a packet of tissues in case he wanted to clean up some more. The freckled boy turned to Tsukishima and extended his arm to him, much to the other’s confusion. “Here, Tsukki.”

“What?”

“It’s my fault you didn’t get to finish your ice cream, so you can have some of mine.”

The heat had already caused the ice cream to melt. Tsukishima looked wary at first, which only caused Yamaguchi to nudge his arm even closer. The freckled boy had angled his arm too high for Tsukishima’s mouth, and now he was practically shoving the mocha ice cream up his nose.

The blond lowered it with his hand as he took a bite and promptly returned to an upright position. Yamaguchi motioned to swipe at the cream that had accidentally smudged on Tsukishima’s face, but stopped midway when he noticed the other inch away slightly. He decided to just pass him a piece of tissue. When Tsukishima kept missing the stain, Yamaguchi smiled as he directed him.

Just as wordlessly as the other two interacted, Yachi sat on her side of the bench feeling unsure of the situation.

Yamaguchi offered to give the blond the rest of his ice cream, but Tsukishima declined saying that he wasn’t fond of the flavour.

“It’s almost time, so I think I’ll be heading back first,” Yachi mumbled to herself.

“I’ll be going too, then,” Tsukishima said as he stood up from the seat.

“You don’t have a shift this afternoon, right? You don’t have to rush,” Yachi flustered, to which the two boys raised their brows.

“I need to go back to campus for a meeting,” Tsukishima explained, mostly in reply to Yamaguchi’s inquisitive look.

“Oh, okay,” Yachi smiled. “Bye for now, Yamaguchi!”

Yamaguchi waved as he said his farewells. “See you, Yachi! Bye, Tsukki…?”

Tsukishima had already walked away quite a bit, but he turned around to face Yamaguchi at the last minute.

“Is there something wrong?” Yamaguchi asked as Tsukishima took off his hoodie and handed it over to him. “What am I going to do with this?” Yamaguchi laughed nervously as he held on to the dark brown fabric.

“Use it to cover up your shirt,” Tsukishima said.

“Didn’t you say you were feeling cold?”

“The stain bothers me more,” Tsukishima grumbled.

Yamaguchi smiled. “You don’t have to feel like you owe me anything, Tsukki.”

“I never said that,” Tsukishima spat.

“Well, thanks anyway,” the shorter boy said as he put on the jacket. He felt a trickle of sweat run down his spine, but he ignored it just as he resisted the urge to fan himself with his hand. “I’ll see you around, then?”

“Yeah. See you around.”

When Yamaguchi returned to Ueno Park that afternoon, he wore a thin striped shirt with a pair of athletic shorts. He brought Tsukishima’s jacket with him in case he ended up bumping into him at the park. He made sure to be well prepared this time, and set aside some change for a coin locker. 

When he stepped out of his apartment door the weather was still humid enough to reduce one to a sweaty mess, but by the time he alighted at Ueno station, it was as though the sun had grown embarrassed of its enthusiastic heat and hid behind dark curtains. The air felt chilly. If not for Tsukishima’s jacket, Yamaguchi would have felt too cold to eke out five rounds before the rain started to pour and he decided to go back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Tikachu [sic] is a reference to something Yamaguchi says in chapter 102 of the manga. I haven't watched that much of the anime so idk if that scene has popped up yet...
> 
> * Tsukki (ツッキー) is the name of a dinosaur in the series Ojarumaru (Prince Mackaroo).
> 
> \---
> 
> Exam season is finally over (for now) so I can hopefully update more frequently! This chapter is entitled 'Ignition' because now the stage is set and ready to burn ( o u o ) The next chapter is pretty special to me, so please do look forward to it ^u^/


	6. Misfortune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your comments here on ao3 and on tumblr as well!! You're all so nice ;v; I read every one and I appreciate them so much, I just don't reply all the time since I don't want to unfairly increase the comment count for this fic.
> 
> By the way, there is some mention of blood and needles in this chapter. It's all in a medical sense and there is no implication of self-harm though!

Sometimes, things happen so often enough that it becomes easy to assume that they’re always going to be that way. Maybe it’s the comfort of a lifestyle, the strength in one’s bones, or the spring in every step — things that come so effortlessly that the thought of not having them anymore has just never come to mind. 

When Yamaguchi met up with Yachi to get the poster he’d ordered, he was half-certain that he was going to bump into Tsukishima at the museum. He hadn’t realized that he was expecting to meet the bespectacled blond until he reached the museum’s exit and still hadn’t seen him. He asked Nishinoya if Tsukishima had a shift that day, but he answered that he hadn’t seen Tsukishima at all that week.

“I heard that he’s taken a leave from work,” the security guard added.

“Do you know why?”

“No, sorry. I just heard about it from a co-worker,” Nishinoya replied. “You guys are friends, aren’t you? Why don’t you just ask him?”

“I don’t exactly have a way to contact him,” Yamaguchi trailed off.

The shorter man laughed. “That guy really has his own way of going about things. Well, I’m sure he’s fine, so don’t worry about it too much!”

He hadn’t seen Tsukishima in a week, and Yamaguchi would be lying if he said he wasn’t the slightest bit worried now — or at the very least, intrigued.

The freckled boy left and walked rather slowly through the park, weaving his way through the crowds in an almost calculated manner. He didn’t have much time left to have lunch and report to work on schedule, but he still took a side trip into a Sports Zyuen outlet, just in case.

 

* * *

 

“You’re looking pretty constipated, Yamaguchi.”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“Oh, no, I’m all right,” Yamaguchi stumbled on his words. “Thanks for asking.”

“You better not bail out on us right now, Yamaguchi. We really need you,” Sugawara reminded with a heavy sigh. The three of them were huddled around a desk preparing buntings. “Even though Michimiya would be back by next school year, we could definitely still use your help around here.”

“The students from my previous advisory class say good things about you, too,” Shimizu relayed with a demure smile.

“Same here! I remember sitting through one of Yamaguchi’s earlier lectures and everyone looked unnaturally engrossed with the lesson,” Sugawara laughed, to which Yamaguchi echoed in a more embarrassed manner. “Back when I was first teaching integrated science classes, I don’t think I even came across as that effective of an educator. You’ve really got a talent for this, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi visibly struggled to piece together a reply, and all he managed to stutter out was an honest “Thank you.”

When the three teachers grew tired of cutting and pasting, Shimizu and Yamaguchi left their lesson plan books with Sugawara and left the school to attend to their other responsibilities. As Yamaguchi wove through the park again, he was practically hyperaware of the things around him.

“Ah, this is just so pointless!” Yamaguchi whined as he rummaged through his bag.

He’d somehow made it to his doorstep without consciously realizing it. What was stressing him even more was that he couldn’t find a way to get into his apartment. The emergency key that he’d always kept in a hole covered up by his red ‘Welcome’ rug was suspiciously missing. Something in Yamaguchi’s mind clicked. The belongings in his bag were in a disco-like disarray, but he miraculously managed to locate his phone in record time. 

“Hello, Sugawara-san?” Yamaguchi tentatively greeted when the dialing tone abruptly stopped. 

“Yamaguchi, is something wrong? It’s unlikely of you to call,” Sugawara replied. The background noise on his end was muffled, but Yamaguchi could make out the sound of chatter.

“Yeah, well it’s kind of an emergency,” Yamaguchi said as he tried to force out a laugh. “Are you headed home now?" 

It was Sugawara’s turn to awkwardly chuckle for no good reason. “Well, yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“I’ve lost the keys to my apartment, so I have no way of getting in my room right now. Can I drop by your place to get the ones I’d left behind last week?”

“Oh, about that —“ Sugawara said before his voice got overpowered by the noise of his surroundings. 

“I’m sorry Sugawara-san, I didn’t catch what you just said,” Yamaguchi spoke loudly into his own mouthpiece.

“I wouldn’t be at my apartment tonight,” Sugawara reiterated. “You’re free to go there now, though. I’m not sure if Tsukishima’s home, but we keep a spare key under the potted plant near the door.”

“Oh, okay,” Yamaguchi replied before saying his good byes. He cut the call and dumped his phone back into his bag. He double checked his possessions and reconfirmed that yes, he didn’t have Tsukishima’s jacket with him. He made a mental note to return the hoodie on another day, preferably after he’d remember to wash it.

Yamaguchi’s apartment building was not that far away from Sugawara’s, but by the time he reached that plain building, the sun had already shifted its position in the sky. The purple clouds swam in a pool of pinks and blues, tinting the white apartment complex a pale periwinkle.

A glaring of cats lazed around the building’s entrance, and one of the kittens slowly circled around Yamaguchi. The freckled boy felt inclined to pet it, but childhood memories of getting scratched and scarred by seemingly friendly felines caused him to withdraw from the idea. For now.

It was a trip he’d made only once before, but it already seemed oddly familiar. “A turn to the right after a flight of stairs, then head to the door with a Strawberry Shortcake sticker on it.” Those were the directions his co-worker Sugawara had given him just a few days prior. The sticker was apparently a memento left over by a previous tenant, and it evolved into a sort of marker that nobody felt like taking off. If anything, it helped visitors find their apartment much easier. 

As promised, a small key was tucked beneath a potted snake plant. The muted click of the doorknob as it turned felt strange to Yamaguchi’s ear. The freckled boy left his bag by the shoe racks at the entrance since his shoulders were starting to ache from the burden.

He passed through the entry hallway and made a beeline for the dining room, where he found his belongings unceremoniously dumped onto an end table in the exact same fashion he had arranged them one week before. Yamaguchi had somehow expected to see this, but he did not anticipate encountering the motionless form that hunched over the dining table. 

The way their body contorted over the furniture looked unnatural. They wore a thin grey shirt that clung to their body due to sweat. The glow of the setting sun bled into the dining room and set fire to their curls, making it shine in a warm yellow, like citrine quartz under a spotlight.

He only needed to hover his hand over Tsukishima in order to spur the blond into consciousness.

“Tsukki, are you all right? You look like you’re sweating a lot,” Yamaguchi said.

Tsukishima took off the eyeglasses that sat askew on his face and massaged the bridge of his nose. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here to pick up some things I left last week, but I could ask the same of you.”

“I meant to eat something, but I don’t remember what happened after I sat down,” Tsukishima replied, seemingly in a blur. “What time is it?”

“It’s about 5 in the afternoon now.”

Tsukishima clicked his tongue and brought his hand to the side of his head, rubbing his fingers in a circular motion. “Shit, I missed the timing for my medicine again.”

“You’re sick, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked, his expression a mixture of worry and understanding.

“I’ve been having a fever for about a week now.”

“Have you gone to the doctor?”

“No way, that’s too troublesome. It’s just a fever,” Tsukishima groaned.

“But it’s been going on for so long already! Didn’t Sugawara-san say anything about it?" 

“How would he know? He hasn’t come here in a while.”

“Eh, what do you mean?”

“He said he was staying over at Daichi-san’s for a bit. Something about it being closer to work or something,” Tsukishima said with a disinterested wave of his hand. 

“That wouldn’t make sense. Daichi-san lives over an hour away from the school,” Yamaguchi replied as his brow wrinkled.

“Well, whatever. I don’t really care,” Tsukishima grumbled. “If you’re done getting your things, don’t forget to lock the door when you leave,” the boy said as he folded his arms on the table and rested his head on top of them.

“Wait, didn’t you say you didn’t take your medicine yet? I won’t leave until you take some,” Yamaguchi stressed. “Where do you keep your medical supplies?”

Once Yamaguchi managed to coerce Tsukishima into downing a paracetamol tablet and getting in bed to sleep properly, he went over to the kitchen and filled up two bottles of water. He then brought them over to Tsukishima’s room, where he found the blond both shirtless and tucked under a thin blanket. He was in the middle of a call, and Yamaguchi could hear the steady muffled speech of the other person, but Tsukishima only let out hums and groans in response. 

The freckled boy set down the water bottles on the floor next to Tsukishima, at a distance where it would be easy for him to reach but near impossible for him to knock over if he were asleep. The air in the room was stale, and when Yamaguchi tried to open the windows, the lock just wouldn’t budge. It hadn’t occurred to him when he’d come over the week before, but now that it wasn’t cool outside, Tsukishima’s room was practically a sauna. Yamaguchi decided it would be reasonable to turn on the air conditioning.

When Yamaguchi crouched next to his ill friend, the other boy had his eyes shut and only opened them to locate the dark-haired boy to shove the phone into his hands. The call was still ongoing. Confused, Yamaguchi brought the phone to his ear.

“H-hello? Who is this?” Yamaguchi asked.

An exhausted and rather sleepy voice greeted him on the other end of the line. “Hi. Is Tsukishima really sick? He isn’t faking it?”

“Yeah, it seems he’s been having a fever for a week now.”

“I see,” the other man sighed before he paused. “Would you be willing to do a favor for him?”

“I guess so. Why?” Yamaguchi replied nervously.

“Could you come over to the University of Tokyo? Right now, Komaba campus, at the first gymnasium?” the man pleaded.

“Well. I think so, yeah, maybe,” Yamaguchi answered almost automatically. 

The freckled boy could practically feel the other person’s relief in their voice. “Great! I’ll look forward to seeing you within the next hour.”

“Tsukki, who was that?” Yamaguchi worriedly turned to the blond who lay so motionlessly on his futon that he seemed to be asleep.

“Ennoshita-san, our group leader. What did he tell you?” Tsukishima drowsily asked.

“He said he wanted me to head over to your university’s gymnasium. I have no idea why though, and now I’m kind of worried,” Yamaguchi anxiously replied. “What have you gotten me into?" 

“He probably just wants you to get my new uniform. He might have gotten tired of holding onto it for a whole week,” Tsukishima yawned. “So you’ll be leaving now?” 

“What? Doesn’t it even occur to you that I might actually have somewhere to be right now?” Yamaguchi practically cried. At the back of his mind he wondered how his day might have played out if he hadn’t forgotten to bring his keys with him that morning.

“But you don’t, do you?” Tsukishima smirked. With his closed eyes, he was the poster child of a sleeping angel, face flush with the final golden glows of sundown.

“How could you be so sure about that?”

“I live with a teacher. I’m familiar with your non-existent social lifestyle,” Tsukishima droned. “Thanks in advance.”

Yamaguchi huffed. “I’ll only do it because it’s rude to not help a friend who’s sick.”

“Did you say something?” Tsukishima sluggishly questioned, practically half-asleep.

“Nothing,” Yamaguchi said as he urged Tsukishima to sit up and inserted a thermometer into his ear. It was a few points shy of 39 degrees Celsius. “You’ve got to get to a hospital. Do you think you could go on your own?”

“I’m too tired,” Tsukishima complained. “I’d rather wait for you to come back.”

The freckled boy sighed. “Fine. I’ll try not to take too long.”

“Wait,” Tsukishima coughed. “If you’re taking the train, get off at Shibuya, then ride bus 55 to Todai-mae.”

“Okay,” Yamaguchi noted. “Rest well, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima simply groaned as Yamaguchi closed the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

The university campus was huge. Yamaguchi silently thanked Tsukishima for giving him directions. If he had not followed them, he would have had to trek through more than half the entire length of the campus from the main gate.

From the postern gate the first gymnasium was easy enough to locate, and Yamaguchi quickly flitted to its direction, eager to get the ordeal over with. The faint squeaking of sneakers in the distance was comforting, welcoming, and yet unexpectedly intimidating. His hands began to sweat despite the temperature having cooled in the nightfall, and his knees found no balance as he walked on the concrete. Yamaguchi breathed in through his nose and exhaled from his mouth.

It was only when he walked through the gymnasium doors that he realized he hadn’t had a clue as to what he was supposed to be doing there. He stood out amongst everyone else in his shirt and denim jeans, and the uncomfortable look on his face made it more unlikely for him to blend in. The court on the first floor was split in half, with one side playing basketball and on the other they had volleyball. 

Yamaguchi awkwardly walked over to the side and hid by the stairwell to avoid stray balls and unnecessary confrontation. He mentally debated whether or not he should sit on one of the steps, but decided otherwise when a group of ladies passed by him. From the attire they wore to the gear they hoisted on their shoulders, they were most likely badminton players who had finished their training at the gym’s second level.

Yamaguchi lightly slapped himself on the cheeks and rested his palms on the sides of his face. “What are you doing?” he thought out loud. “You shouldn’t keep people waiting!”

“Are you all right?”

Yamaguchi tensed and his hair stood on end. “Yes, I’m fine!” he said all too energetically.

The person before him had dark hair parted to the side. His droopy eyes made him look sleepy, but the sweat on his forehead and the tension in his legs made him look like he was ready to charge at any given moment.

 

“Are you looking for someone?” they asked.

“Well, I guess so. I’m expecting someone,” Yamaguchi awkwardly replied.

The other boy nodded. “By any chance, are you Tsukishima’s roommate?”

“No, I’m just his friend.”

“His friend?” the boy said skeptically as he patted the volleyball he held in his arms.

“Are you Ennoshita-san?” Yamaguchi asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

Surprise painted his face as he replied, “Oh, yeah.” Ennoshita smiled as he tucked the ball under one arm and reached his free hand out between them.

“I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi,” Yamaguchi introduced himself as he shook their hand.

Ennoshita’s face lit up in acknowledgement. “Ah! It’s nice to meet you,” he said as his grip tightened. “Do you play volleyball?”

“Um, yeah, but well, it’s been a while since I last played,” Yamaguchi stuttered. 

The other boy smiled. “That’s great!” He walked Yamaguchi over to the edge of the court and opened one of the bags that lay on the bleachers. “What position did you play?”

“Originally I was a middle blocker, but—“

“Perfect,” Ennoshita announced as he handed Yamaguchi a plastic bag. “That’s exactly the position Tsukishima plays. Do you think you could fill in for him in our match tomorrow?”

“What?” Yamaguchi jumped.

Ennoshita called over another student, one that was much taller than them. His hair was pitch black and his stance made him loom above everyone else. The air about him was intimidating. 

“I’m the group leader, but Kuroo’s technically the team captain,” Ennoshita said as the person in question walked over to them. Once they were within earshot, Ennoshita introduced the two of them to one another. “This is Tsukishima’s friend, Yamaguchi. He says he’s played as a middle blocker before.”

Kuroo smiled as he tilted his head to the side and rested his hand on his hip. “Oh, so Tsukishima sent you over to be our saviour?”

Yamaguchi was flustered. “Eh, I don’t know, Tsukki didn’t say anything about that.”

The two volleyball players looked at Yamaguchi in disbelief. “Tsukki?”

“Oh, ohoho, that’s way too cute of a nickname for that sourpuss,” Kuroo grinned. “But it’s nice. It’s got a ring to it.”

“Why don’t you join us for practice so you can get a feel for the team?” Ennoshita suggested.

“If you don’t have anything to change into, just use Tsukishima’s jersey. It’s what you’ll be using tomorrow, anyway,” Kuroo commented.

“Is that allowed? I’m not even a student here,” Yamaguchi reasoned.

“It’s fine, we’re not the varsity team,” Ennoshita answered. “Our volleyball circle is inter-university anyway. Kuroo doesn’t even go here.”

“It’s not a serious game, it’s just a neighborhood tournament. It’s open for everyone to join,” Kuroo added.

Yamaguchi frowned. “What happened to your other members?”

“They’re either busy working part-time, being sick, or attending to their relationships,” Ennoshita rolled his eyes as he replied. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to let you do this for free. It’s the championship game, so either way you’ll get some good money." 

Yamaguchi winced and stuttered out how it would be impossible for him. “I could bring Tsukishima to the doctor to check if he’d be well enough to join by tomorrow.”

“That’d be too unreliable,” Kuroo said. “Come on, it’d be fun. Don’t you like being on the court?”

 

* * *

 

Yamaguchi had been away from the game for too long to be able to perform well. His blocks were a second too late, his receives a little too unrefined, and his spikes lacked the power to knock down the other team’s defense. Kuroo had been watching him intently, and decided to let Yamaguchi practice something else instead.

The moment Yamaguchi stood within the service zone, he already knew what he had to do. It was like second nature. The hours he’d spent polishing his jump float serve were ingrained into his very bones.

From the sidelines, Kuroo smiled like a Cheshire cat.

 

* * *

 

 

When Yamaguchi arrived back at Tsukishima’s apartment, the first thing he said to the blond was, “Did you drink your medicine?”

Tsukishima was curled up in his futon, the mess of sheets tangled in his legs. Two water bottles were strewn next to him, and they were empty down to the last drop. He groggily rubbed his eyes as he sat up. “Why? Is it that time already?”

Yamaguchi sighed. “You’re already an hour late. Here,” he said as he crouched and passed a tablet to Tsukishima. “I’ll go get you some water.”

“Did you just get here?” Tsukishima asked when Yamaguchi re-entered the room. Yamaguchi simply nodded as he stifled a yawn. Tsukishima assessed him from head to toe. “What happened to you? You look awful." 

The freckled boy stared at the other boy, but quickly put on a forced smile. “Your team sure trains hard.”

“You joined practice? Why?” Tsukishima questioned as he received a towel from Yamaguchi. He used it to wipe his face, but had trouble reaching his back.

“Ennoshita-san asked me to be your substitute in the match tomorrow,” he replied as the towel was returned to him. Tsukishima turned his back to Yamaguchi, and the freckled boy took it as a signal to pat their back dry.

“You play volleyball?”

“Well, I used to. I just hope I wouldn’t be a burden for your team tomorrow,” Yamaguchi replied. “Are you ready to go to the hospital?”

“But you haven’t eaten yet,” Tsukishima pointed out in monotone as he put his shirt on.

“Neither have you,” Yamaguchi commented. “Let’s just get something along the way.”

 

* * *

 

The two rode a taxi to the hospital, with Yamaguchi footing for the bill. They were both groggy when they arrived, but by the time Tsukishima sat down to have his blood drawn, Yamaguchi paled and fidgeted.

“I think I’m going to go wait outside, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi rasped.

“Okay,” Tsukishima replied as his eyes followed Yamaguchi’s back as they walked out the door.

“Is he a relative?” the nurse commented as they rubbed a cotton ball on the inside of Tsukishima’s arm.

“No,” the boy replied in monotone as the nurse tied a rubber strap to Tsukishima’s forearm and instructed him to bring his hand into a fist.

“Hmm,” the nurse hummed as they brought the needle to Tsukishima’s vein. Once they’d sufficiently filled the syringe and removed the needle, they put pressure on Tsukishima’s forearm area as they asked, “Your roommate then?”

“No,” Tsukishima said as he rested his elbow on the armrest and covered his mouth. The nurse taped a cotton ball onto his arm as he continued, “He’s just a friend.”

“Ah, I see,” the nurse smiled. “Well, your results are going to be ready in about an hour. You can go kill some time with your friend until then.”

When Tsukishima walked out of the testing laboratory, he found Yamaguchi seated at the lobby, his drained face looking intently at the folded hands on his lap. The colour rushed back to his face once he caught sight of Tsukishima as he smiled and announced, “Let’s go eat, Tsukki!”

 

* * *

 

Tsukishima fell asleep almost immediately upon making contact with his futon once they arrived back at his apartment. Yamaguchi had to force him to drink some water first, as per the doctor’s advice. The doctor had interpreted Tsukishima’s blood test results and diagnosed him with viral bronchitis and prescribed some antibiotics. He advised the two of them to come back to the hospital if Tsukishima was still feeling unwell after three days.

“Tsukki, you better take your medicine properly or else the doctor’s going to prescribe you some suppositories next time,” Yamaguchi joked as he sat next to the futon. 

“Well, I can’t be the one to put it up my own ass. You’re going to have to do it for me while I just lay here, so I’m pretty sure you’ll be doing the harder job,” Tsukishima scoffed. 

Yamaguchi closed his eyes as he lowered his head, but instead of resting on the futon as he’d expected, he hit the floor with a thud. His head throbbed. “Man, I’m not going to be catching a break any time soon, am I?” 

Yamaguchi nursed his headache by resting on his side, pressing a hand to his head as though he were keeping his skull in place. He slowly began to massage his temples before covering his eyes with his palms.

It was like a human superpower — the way he sensed that he was being watched. Yamaguchi lazily opened his eyes to find Tsukishima watching him intently from the other side of the futon. His eyeglasses had left impressions on the sides of his nose, and in the bedroom light his eyes reflected a tiredness of their own.

“What are you looking at?” Yamaguchi asked as he rested his hands on the floor.

“Your freckles,” Tsukishima replied simply.

 

“What?” Yamaguchi laughed. “Don’t they look like pimples?” Tsukishima wrinkled his nose. “— Or like dust scattered across my face?”

“No,” Tsukishima disagreed. “They’re like stars.”

“Huh?”

“I thought they looked more like constellations,” Tsukishima said, and brought a thumb to Yamaguchi’s cheek. “See, this one looks a bit like Libra, and this—“ he paused to trace the shape across his nose, “—for the Lynx.” 

“The fever’s starting to affect your brain,” the freckled boy chuckled. “But you sure know a lot of things, Tsukki.” The heat still lingered in the places where Tsukishima touched, and Yamaguchi made a mental note to take his temperature before he left. “I should probably get going soon.”

“It’s already late. Just stay the night.”

Yamaguchi paused to think, and Tsukishima didn’t break eye contact with him. “Well, I guess you’re right. I think I saw your guest futon on the couch earlier, so I’m going to go get it then,” Yamaguchi replied as he got up from the floor.

“I think that was just the pillow.”

“Really?”

“You could just sleep here again.”

“Well, if we’d be sharing the same bed, you need to go brush your teeth. I could smell the ramen in your breath all the way from here,” the dark-haired boy remarked. 

“Fine,” Tsukishima grumbled.

They slept after Yamaguchi took Tsukishima’s temperature. The reading was still a bit high, but when the freckled boy woke up in the middle of the night to give the blond his next dose of medicine, his temperature had dropped by a few degrees. By sunrise, the pillow that they’d used as a divider between them was already tightly clutched within Yamaguchi’s tan limbs. Tsukishima woke up earlier than his companion, and he spent the first moments of daybreak mentally tracing pictures along the stardust that peppered Yamaguchi’s skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update got delayed quite a bit;; I had some typesetting work to catch up to and my family has been entertaining guests nonstop this week, so I haven't had that much free time. I'm just happy I was able to finish this one, but I didn't get to edit it as much as I would've liked so I'm kind of anxious about it tbh! If you spot any mistakes, please let me know.
> 
> I've been so excited to reach this point of the story and now I'm really looking forward to writing the rest of it haha I'm guessing there might be six or seven more chapters... hmm let's see how things go! :) Thanks to everyone who has read this far!


	7. Destination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you!! Thank you so much for your readership. I really appreciate all the ways you guys have been encouraging me ;__;

“Tsukki, are you awake? Did you take your medicine already?” Yamaguchi asked as he walked through the apartment door.

“Yeah,” the blond called out from the kitchen.

Yamaguchi peeped into the room. “Oh, you’re looking much better now. I guess I was worried for nothing.”

“Really? It must be the medicine,” Tsukishima commented as Yamaguchi leaned on the counter. “How was the game?”

“We won,” the freckled boy grinned. “Well, you guys won.”

“Seems like you enjoyed yourself,” Tsukishima observed as he passed a mug to his guest.

“That’s because I did!” Yamaguchi confessed. Tsukishima poured hot water into both of their mugs and passed an instant coffee packet to the other boy. “It’s been so long since I’d played an actual match, I’d forgotten how it felt like.”

“How many sets did you guys play?”

“Just two.”

“It’s too bad you didn’t get to play longer then,” Tsukishima remarked. He leaned against the refrigerator and watched Yamaguchi from a side angle.

“Well, about that,” Yamaguchi said as he stirred his drink, the faint clinking of the spoon filling in the pauses between his words. “Ennoshita-san asked if I would be willing to play in your next games. I think he most likely wants me to participate for when another one of your members wouldn’t be able to show up.”

“So I’m guessing you said yes?” Tsukishima said.

“Would you be okay with it?”

“It’s your decision in the end. What I think shouldn’t have anything to do with it,” Tsukishima shrugged.

Yamaguchi’s face brightened, but his expression quickly sobered as he started playing with the hem of his white shirt. He was wearing one of Tsukishima’s museum souvenirs, one with a blue triceratops print plastered across the chest area of an otherwise plain cotton tee. The freckled boy chugged the entirety of his drink and slowly set his mug on the counter as he kept his gaze on the floor. He gradually felt unsure of what to do with his hands and began to rhythmically clench and relax his fists.

The blond leisurely took a sip of his coffee, alternating between looking at the ripples of his drink to the creases on Yamaguchi’s forehead.

“I didn’t give Ennoshita-san a definite answer yet,” Yamaguchi said softly. “I told him I’d give it some thought.”

Tsukishima didn’t reply. When he anticipated that Yamaguchi was going to turn to his direction, he immediately reverted back to staring at the moving patterns in his cup.

“Hey, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a hoarse voice. He brought a fist to his chest as he cleared his throat. “I think I’m going to go home to rest for a bit,” he whispered as he lifted himself off of the counter top.

Tsukishima nodded and wordlessly trailed behind his guest as they walked towards the door. As Yamaguchi crouched to put on his sneakers, the blond stared at the empty spaces in the shoe racks. He bit the inside of his cheek until the freckled boy finally rose from his sitting position.

“Yamaguchi.”

The dark-haired boy jolted. He looked at Tsukishima almost a moment too soon, and his head lightly ached from the forcefulness of his turn. His lips were set in a thin line, and his brows were raised in shock.

“Congratulations on winning.”

Yamaguchi’s expression softened almost immediately. “Thanks, Tsukki!” he smiled. “It would’ve been nice if you could’ve seen the game.”

“If I was well enough to go, you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to play in the first place,” Tsukishima jeered.

The freckled boy laughed weakly and took a step backwards. “You’ve got a point,” Yamaguchi said. “I only joined the game at the last half, so my experience was pretty short-lived, though.”

“If you played during the final stretch, you must’ve done well,” the blond commended.

Yamaguchi laughed shyly, tilting his head to the side as though to cover his ears with his hair.

“Thanks,” Yamaguchi paused to lick his chapped lips. “Have a good night, Tsukki.” 

The emptiness of the apartment was made more apparent when it was only filled with silence. The space seemed larger than what it really was.

It hurt Tsukishima's head to stay idle on his feet. He gathered the used mugs and water bottles in the sink and washed them. His mind wandered off as he lathered the soap, and he ended up soaking parts of his shirt by the time he rinsed the spoons. He wiped the counters dry after he’d finished cleaning up.

He walked over to the refrigerator and looked at the note Yamaguchi had stuck onto it with a magnet. He’d written on a torn piece of paper, and it listed the different times and medicines he was supposed to take. Tsukishima retrieved his phone from an end table and set up reminders for each one. He hadn’t noticed it at first, but when he reached the bottom of the note, it read, “Don’t forget to stay hydrated and get lots of rest!”

The blond suppressed his laughter, but in the isolation of the room he allowed himself a small chuckle. He filled a water jug and propped it up next to his futon. He laid his head on the pillow, but his headache failed to lull him to sleep. He tossed and turned for a bit, and when he started to feel like wanting to tear out his brain, he was finally able to indulge in slumber.

He was awakened by a slight nudge to his shoulder, and even then he felt like he was still dreaming. A smile greeted him as he regained consciousness, and Tsukishima slowly realized that he was drenched in sweat. Once he was supported into an upright position, he closed his eyes as he heard the light beeping in his ear. The alarm of his phone went off, and Tsukishima instinctively reached over to disable it. He sleepily accepted the medicine tablet he was offered, and once he’d swallowed and followed it up with a guzzling of water, he slid himself back under a blanket and quickly fell asleep.

When he awoke again, it was because of the low buzzing of the air conditioner. The green curtains were drawn to keep out the harsh glaring of the sun. Tsukishima sat up and brought his knees to himself. His throat was parched, and when he reached over to get his water jug he felt disoriented to see that there was another bottle next to it.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Tsukishima looked up and assessed the silhouette by the doorway. “What day is it?”

“It’s already Sunday,” Yamaguchi said as he shut the door behind him. He squatted next to Tsukishima, and in the closer distance the blond was able to see his face. Everything else blurred in comparison. “Are you hungry? I brought you some lunch.”

Tsukishima nodded. Everything tasted awful and bland to his tongue, but eating was something to do other than just laying around all day.

The freckled boy stood up and stretched his legs. “Do you want me to help you up?”

“There’s no need,” Tsukishima droned. He put on his eyeglasses and propped one hand behind him as he lifted himself from the ground, using his arm to support his weight.

Yamaguchi had prepared an orange coloured soup. The freckled boy urged Tsukishima to sit down and threatened to force feed him if he didn’t manage to finish his serving. A quick taste of it revived Tsukishima’s dry taste buds.

“What is this?”

“It’s got carrots, sweet potatoes, and a dash of celery,” Yamaguchi replied as he blew on his spoon before putting it in his mouth. “Does it taste all right?”

“It’s probably the best thing I’ve had all week.”

“That’s impossible,” Yamaguchi dismissed the comment and laughed bashfully. “What have you been eating by yourself anyway?”

“I’ve been too tired to prepare anything, so I’d been reheating some leftovers. But lately I’m running on instant noodles,” Tsukishima confessed.

“No wonder you haven’t been getting any better,” Yamaguchi commented.

When they were finished with their meal, Yamaguchi washed the dishes and Tsukishima dried them off. Yamaguchi had offered to do it alone, but the blond insisted on helping out. They did so in comfortable silence, adopting a systematic flow of performing the chore.

While washing the last of the plates, the dark-haired boy offhandedly mentioned that he needed to go back home right afterwards. He added that he couldn’t stay for too long since he’d kept his washing machine on with his laundry. After Yamaguchi put on his shoes, the two of them stood awkwardly by the doorway, looking everywhere but at each other.

“Yamaguchi —“

“Tsukki —“

The two of them spoke in unison. Yamaguchi smiled as he urged the bespectacled blond to speak first.

“Will you be back tomorrow?”

“If you’ll still have me, then why not?” Yamaguchi exclaimed without batting an eye. “You’d be lonely if I didn’t come over, right?” he joked.

“Yeah, right,” Tsukishima sneered, causing Yamaguchi to look away. “What were you going to say?” Tsukishima asked.

“Ah, it’s nothing important,” Yamaguchi said as he waved his hands before him. He intended to turn away but the blond waited for him to continue. “Take care of yourself, Tsukki.”

 

* * *

 

On Monday, there was a knock on the apartment door. The sound was foreign, and it raised questions in Tsukishima’s mind. A look through the peephole only deepened his confusion.

“Yachi-san, what are you doing here?”

“Ah, Tsukishima-kun, good afternoon,” Yachi nervously greeted as she asked to be invited in. “I had business in the neighborhood and decided to come visit since I heard you were sick.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow as he accepted Yachi’s gift. It was a small basket of fruits with a handmade “Get well soon” card. He said his thanks as he led her to the living room, where she sat on the sofa and Tsukishima rested against the wall before her. “How did you know I’ve been sick? We’re in totally different work departments.”

“I already had my suspicions when I heard from Hinata-kun that you haven’t been to the museum in a while, but then Yamaguchi brought it up this morning and—“

“What did he say?”

“Well,” Yachi timidly began. “he said that you had a tendency to miss your medicine timings, so he asked if I could check in on you since he couldn’t come over today. I asked why couldn’t he just give you a call about it instead, but he said he didn’t even have your phone number. I offered to give it to him but he didn’t want that, either. I don’t understand how you two can be so close and still not have each other’s contact details,” she rambled as she folded her arms before her. “I would’ve just messaged you myself. I came all the way over here anyway since we don’t have work today. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about too since it’s been a week since you’ve volunteered at the museum. You look okay right now, though.”

“My fever’s been down for some time. If nothing weird happens, I might able to go to work by Wednesday,” Tsukishima said. “What’s wrong with Yamaguchi?”

“Now that I think about it, he didn’t mention it in his messages,” Yachi mused. After a gulping of water, she seemed to have settled down. “We were too busy talking about other things, so it must’ve slipped my mind with how fast our conversation was going.”

“Why? What were you even talking about?”

“Oh, we were just… discussing… something we — I mean he — something he was really interested in,” Yachi stammered.

“Like what?”

“Um, well,” Yachi trailed off as she bit her lower lip. “It’s, uh…”

Tsukishima looked on as Yachi stuttered her mouth dry. “…Never mind.”

“No. You know what, it’s bad to lie,” Yachi thought loudly to herself. “There’s something I have to tell you, but you have to promise me that you’ll absolutely keep this a secret between just the three of us.”

“…Okay?”

Tsukishima listened as patiently as he could, but the one-sided exchange slowly caused his brain cells to hibernate. He’d dropped hints about wanting to end the conversation, but Yachi was too engrossed to notice.

It felt liberating to speak about her passions, but the guilt of having someone listen to her rambling overwhelmed Yachi afterwards. The girl excused herself as she had another appointment to attend. Tsukishima escorted her out of the building and thanked Yachi for her company in the roundabout way he usually did.

 

* * *

 

 

The dust particles that littered the belongings in Tsukishima’s room were made obvious in the light of the morning sun. He examined the room and took note of the things he needed to clean up.

The blond put on a new shirt and ran a hand through his damp hair as he entered the hall. He walked over and checked the note on his refrigerator, making sure he still had enough medicine to last him through the day. He was just about to stir his coffee when his phone rang.

“Yes,” Tsukishima greeted.

“Where are you?”

The person’s voice sounded distorted, and Tsukishima couldn’t recognize it. He brought his phone before him and checked the caller ID before returning the receiver to his ear. “Sugawara-san, you sound awful.”

 Sugawara sighed. “Are you still under the weather?”

“Not really. I’m probably well enough to rejoin society,” Tsukishima said dryly.

“You passed your fever on to Yamaguchi, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“He just messaged me to say that he couldn’t go to work today, and that I should probably check up on you since you’ve been feeling unwell. Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been sick?” Sugawara whined.

“Why would I want to interrupt your date,” Tsukishima deadpanned. “So Yamaguchi’s sick?”

“It seems so. Do you have any idea how short on staff we are now?” Sugawara complained. “There’s something I want you to give to him, do you think you could pick it up later? You know where I work, right?”

“Roughly,” Tsukishima shrugged as he played with the spoon in his mug. “I’ll do it, but why won’t you give it to him yourself?”

“I’ll still be staying at Daichi’s later, so visiting Yamaguchi would be a bit out of the way. But it wouldn’t be a problem for you since he’s your friend, right?”

Tsukishima grimaced. “I don’t know where Yamaguchi lives, though.”

“I can send you the details,” Sugawara yawned. “I’ll talk to you later, Tsukishima.”

“Okay,” Tsukishima said as he cut the call.

The blond inhaled deeply as he put his phone on the table. The toaster’s click signaled that his breakfast was ready, and he took a swig of his drink before he placed the bread on a ceramic plate. He thoughtfully stared at his meal as he sat, and folded his hands against his chin. He brought the toast to his mouth and bit into it, and several crumbs fell as he kept the slice wedged in between his teeth while he hurriedly replied to a message that Ennoshita had sent him the night before.

Once he finished eating, he put on some pants, packed some medicine into a bag, and went straight out the door.

He put on his headphones as he waited for the train. When it finally arrived, the coach was packed as usual. He didn’t fight his way towards the seats and instead settled on a space near the doors. He kept his feet planted on the ground and maintained a certain tension in his knees to keep himself from losing balance. In the twenty minutes that he spent in that ride, he found some sense of satisfaction over the fact that he didn’t topple over even once.

A cool breeze greeted Tsukishima as he walked out of Ueno station. The air felt light to his skin, but the sunshine made him squint. He covered his eyes with his hand and turned to the sky. The lumpy white clouds that lay low in the azure sky seemed to promise fair weather, but it was still too early to rule out the possibility of a storm in the future. Tsukishima shrugged. It didn’t really matter. If it rained, he could just use the umbrella Yamaguchi had given him. He tightened his grip on his bag strap.

Tsukishima looked at his phone as he walked through the park. He’d trekked through its paths so many times that he could traverse the gardens without putting in much thought. He locked and unlocked his device, weighing the handheld in his hand. The blond thumbed through his music files, skipping the different tracks that streamed through his playlist. He decided to just stop the music altogether, but chose to keep the headphones on his head. He opened up his contact list and scrolled its entirety, lingering towards the end of the directory.

He froze when he caught a glimpse of the time displayed on his phone. It was still far too early to head for his rendezvous. He looked up and assessed his surroundings, turned a hundred and eighty degrees, and walked on.

 

* * *

 

 

As he entered the museum’s staff room, he was greeted by a couple of people who had noticed his absence, one of which was a certain blonde girl.

“Eh, aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Yachi greeted from her desk.

“I’m fine, I won’t be working yet today,” Tsukishima said as he eyed the sleeping mouse-like figurine that sat next to Yachi’s keyboard. “Is that—“

“Yeah, this is the one I was talking about yesterday,” Yachi grinned as she angled the Tikachu figurine towards Tsukishima. “Yamaguchi said he liked this one, too.”

“Really?” Tsukishima said as he raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you get it?”

“I asked a friend to buy it for me. It’s a pretty old design, so I had no idea which stores had it in stock. They said they were able to get it at Akiba, but I’m not sure where exactly,” Yachi stated with a serious look on her face. “Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason,” Tsukishima shrugged. “Have you talked to Yamaguchi recently?”

“Sort of, but our conversation kept getting interrupted,” Yachi pouted.

“I heard he’s sick.”

“What?” Yachi half-shouted. She covered her mouth when she realized she wasn’t able to modulate her tone. “No wonder he kept falling asleep during our twitter ranting.”

“I’m going to go visit him later. Can you come with me?” Tsukishima said as he maintained a poker face.

“I would if I could but unlike you, I have to work today,” Yachi sighed. “I’ll try to call him later though.” Yachi rested her chin in her palm and yawned. When she noticed that Tsukishima still hadn’t left, she turned her gaze to him. He was leaning against Yachi’s desk with his back turned towards her, his fingers interlocked as he positioned his hands before him. “Tsukishima, are you nervous?”

“What?” Tsukishima spat accusingly as he turned towards her.

“Would it be your first time going to his house?” Yachi asked, an innocent smile plastered on her face.

“Yes…?”

“You’ll be fine, I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you. You’re friends, aren’t you?”

Tsukishima’s scowl discouraged Yachi from commenting further.

An incessant ringing from his phone indicated that Tsukishima had taken too long of a detour. He bid his farewells and left the silent museum.

The park was bustling with employees headed to their workplaces and tourists biding their time. The sun’s glare pierced Tsukishima’s skin, but the gentle wind made walking a little more bearable.

He stopped at a bus stop by the edge of the park, and approached the lone hooded man that stood under its shade.

“So you’ve recovered?” Ennoshita-san asked as they took out his earphones and put down his hood.

“For the most part. I’ve grown tired of staying at home,” Tsukishima replied with disinterest.

“That’s no good. If that was the case then you could’ve just told me. You didn’t have to come get this immediately anyway,” the man said as he retrieved an envelope from his bag. “But I guess you’re saving me the trouble of holding onto this for yet another week,” he teased.

“How much did you guys win?” Tsukishima asked as he placed the package inside his bag.

“It’s for Yamaguchi to find out. Where is he, anyway? I would’ve liked to congratulate him again,” Ennoshita smiled.

“He’s sick.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” he shrugged. “He was unexpectedly cool last weekend. You should’ve seen it.”

“Why? What happened?”

“He didn’t tell you?”

Tsukishima shook his head. “He just said that he only got to play at the end of the match.”

“That’s true. We were actually on the losing end, so Kuroo subbed him in at that time. He scored us six points,” Ennoshita grinned mischievously. “All service aces.”

“Really?”

“The last one almost gave me a heart attack since it was a net in, but the suspense of it made the victory that much more amazing. It was pretty exciting,” Ennoshita relayed with a smile. “It would be great if he could formally join the team.”

“Yeah, he mentioned that,” Tsukishima nodded. “He said he was going to think about it.”

“Why don’t you try convincing him?”

“Why should I?” Tsukishima furrowed his eyebrows.

“You’re friends, aren’t you? If you were to back him up, he might just go with it.”

“I don’t want to force him into doing anything.”

“Don’t you want to try being on the court with him?”

“That has nothing to do with anything,” Tsukishima shrugged.

“Whatever,” Ennoshita said with a wave of his hand. “If you saw him play, maybe you’d change your mind. We have practice again this weekend, why don’t you ask him to tag along?”

“Fine,” Tsukishima sighed.

“I’m heading off to meet our captain to hand him his share of the winnings. Would you be going home now?”

“No,” Tsukishima said as he put a hand in his pocket. “I’ve still got some things to do.”

“What’s so important that it’s gotten a sick man like you walking around town?” Ennoshita frowned. “You should be resting.”

“I’ve rested enough this past week already,” Tsukishima dismissed. “Besides, I’m just doing errands for Yamaguchi.”

“Oh. Oh, okay,” the other boy nodded his head. “I see.”

The blond looked at him in confusion. “What?”

“Nothing. You just had an interesting look in your face,” Ennoshita smiled. “Get well soon, Tsukishima.”

 

* * *

 

He called his roommate once he reached their school campus, and they instructed Tsukishima to walk up to the teachers’ lounge as he was still too preoccupied to meet him at the gate.

The place was empty except for the science department cubicle. Sugawara, along with a few younger folk, greeted him as he entered.

“Ah, Tsukishima, good timing,” Sugawara smiled as he lead Tsukishima inside and seated him behind a desk. “I wasn’t able to finish checking Yamaguchi’s lesson plan in time, but since you’ve gone through the trouble of getting here why don’t you just finish his share of the workload?” the teacher said as he dropped a stack of papers and envelopes on the table.

“Wha-“

“Please just lend me a hand here,” Sugawara sighed as he massaged his head.

The blond skimmed through the printed notes. They were to be given to the parents and were attached with reply slips for whether they were going to let their children participate in the science event’s excursions. Tsukishima wordlessly folded them as he turned his music back on. From the corner of his eye, he could see the teenagers glancing at him every now and then, but he chose to ignore it. If Sugawara hadn’t felt the need to introduce him, he didn’t feel the need to do so now.

When he was done, Sugawara requested him to return again the next day.

“Just come up to the lounge when you’re free tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have looked into Yamaguchi’s lesson plan by then,” he said.

Tsukishima just shrugged and left the cubicle without so much of a word. When he reached the ground floor of the building, he bought a bottle of water from a vending machine and drank some medicine before walking a short distance to Uguisudani station. He was ten stops away from Shinagawa. The blond fidgeted with the wires of his headphones as he boarded the train and watched the landscape whiz by. When he got off seven stations too early, it was more of an impulsive than calculated decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Akiba = Akihabara, also known as the electronics/otaku center of Tokyo. Just putting this note in case some of you weren't familiar with it!
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter didn't give a satisfying feeling. I get the sense that the chapters tend to /not/ end in cliffhangers, but I've chosen to leave this one on a sort of inconclusive note simply because it was getting way too long for my tastes hehe I'll work hard to update again as soon as possible!
> 
> Also, I recently mapped out the next chapters and I predict that they would pose a Very Specific Problem for me. As I went through their outlines, I already felt like gutting myself. I only ever feel this way when I'm reading fluff, so now I'm wondering if I'm unknowingly writing fluff myself. Hmm!! Don't worry, I won't be killing anyone off just to feel human again... but really though....... I just hope I can be brave enough to write the stuff I have planned out :v


	8. Appreciation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! ;v;

The sun began its descent towards the horizon. The sounds of the city grew louder, punctuated by weary sighs of “At least I made it through the day in one piece.” 

Akihabara was unexpectedly difficult to navigate while on a highly specific agenda. The afternoon rush had already subsided by the time Tsukishima got off from Shinagawa station. His stomach was empty but his mind was too occupied to bother processing the otherwise enticing smells from the food stalls that lined the streets. 

He stopped by a beige building that had two storeys, each one lined with five gray doors. The outdoor staircase by its left side had chipped black paint, and one of the tenants on the upper floor had their laundry hanging out in the open. Tsukishima circled around the block as he reconfirmed the address with what Sugawara had given him. When he’d completed his rotation, he fidgeted with his phone before finally approaching the building once more. He knocked on the leftmost door on the ground level and heard some clattering from inside the room.

“Tsukki, you’re here!” Yamaguchi gaped at the blond as he opened the door. Tsukishima noted that the boy looked well enough save for the mask that covered the lower half of his face. “What—? How—? Why…?”

Tsukishima rummaged through his backpack. The first thing he caught sight of was a boxy package, but he quickly shoved it aside to retrieve an envelope. “Ennoshita-san wanted me to give this to you.”

“Oh,” Yamaguchi said plainly, but the confusion in his face didn’t subside. “This could’ve waited until next time, though. You haven't fully recovered yet, right?”

The blond shrugged.

“How did you even know that I lived here?” Yamaguchi nervously asked.

“Sugawara-san told me. He wanted to give you something today but he wasn’t able to ready it in time.”

“Oh, that must be my lesson planner,” the freckled boy nodded to himself.

“Are you in the middle of something?” Tsukishima questioned as he eyed the other’s blue apron and plastic gloves.

“I was just about to start cooking,” Yamaguchi said shyly as he hid his body behind the door. “Why don’t you stay for dinner, Tsukki? My place is such a mess right now, but please come in.”

The room didn’t give an impression of being too small or disorganized — it looked reasonable enough for a bachelor’s pad. It opened right into a small kitchen and dining area, and the open cabinets displayed a decent arsenal of pots and pans.

“Are you sure you should be moving around so much?” Tsukishima questioned as Yamaguchi prepared a chopping board and knife. "Aren't you supposed to be sick?"

“It’s all right, I’ve done this before.”

Tsukishima leaned against a wall and looked on as Yamaguchi struggled to grip a potato and a peeler without sneezing every other minute. “Why don’t you just put together something easier to make?” the blond asked.

“I can’t stomach anything but this type of meal whenever I’m not feeling well,” Yamaguchi sniffed.

“Just tell me what to do, I’ll cook for you,” the blond offered.

“Have you ever cooked before?” Yamaguchi asked warily as he took off his apron and passed it to the blond.

Tsukishima shrugged as he took off his headphones and accepted the apron. He placed his things on top of one of the dining chairs and walked over to the other boy. “How many do we need?”

“If you’ll be joining me, then this much will probably be enough,” Yamaguchi said as he clustered small groups of an assortment of vegetables.

Tsukishima peeled and cubed the potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and celery, then set them aside. Yamaguchi instructed him to melt a tablespoon of butter onto a pan.

“I don’t really have any measurements for it,” Yamaguchi explained. “So I have to put them on myself,” he said as he sprinkled cinnamon over the mixture.

Once the freckled boy felt it was ready, Tsukishima added the vegetables, broth, and some water. After they took turns stirring, Yamaguchi covered the pan and reduced the heat of the stove.

“Now we wait,” Yamaguchi said cheerfully. “I hope you’re not that hungry yet, Tsukki. It’s going to take a while.”

Yamaguchi took off his gloves and ushered the blond into the living room, which was just five steps away from the kitchen. Vivid book spines, CD cases, and figurines littered the bookcase that spanned the entirety of a wall, all categorized in some secret hierarchy. Tsukishima had trouble concentrating on just one thing. He decided to focus on Yamaguchi instead.

“You’ve got some peculiar taste in decor,” Tsukishima commented. 

"I usually change the place up when I'm expecting visitors," the freckled boy laughed nervously, but his expression quickly changed when the blond appraised a figure in his hands.

“Ah —“ Yamaguchi froze as he observed Tsukishima, his eyes widening. “Be careful with that, Tsukki. Please.”

Tsukishima frowned. “Well, considering this one’s an old model, some joints might have gotten quite delicate,” he droned, simply repeating what a shopkeeper had told him back at Akiba. “Is this all that’s in your collection?” the blond asked in monotone.

“No,” Yamaguchi shook his head. “I keep the others in my room since there wasn’t enough space out here.”

“I could see that,” Tsukishima remarked.

“Would you like to take a look?” Yamaguchi offered. Tsukishima was half-certain that Yamaguchi was smiling behind his mask.

Next to the cluttered bookcase was a basic white door, but what hid behind it was a different story. Shelves adorned with even more figures and books were hoisted up above the headboard, and a couple of bookcases and cabinet doors left impressions on the walls. The muted yellow beddings were arguably the only plain things in the room.

“Isn’t your bed a little too big for this room?” Tsukishima questioned as he dropped his bag by the doorway. The area was devoid of any other furniture on its floors, and there was just enough leg room to navigate around the bed.

“Yeah,” Yamaguchi said with an embarrassed laugh as he got on his bed and invited Tsukishima to do the same. Without much options, Tsukishima sat next to him, but more towards the edge of the mattress. “I’ve always thought about getting a smaller one, but since I tend to move a lot when I sleep, I keep deciding against it.”

“I know.”

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said as he bowed his head. 

“I can’t believe you’d use a sick person as a pillow.”

“But you were already awake, weren’t you? You could’ve just woken me up.”

“I didn’t have the energy,” Tsukishima shrugged. 

A silence grew between them. The blond turned away to look at the various things around him, pausing every now and then to reflect whether he’d recognized any of them.

When a vibrant poster caught his attention, he felt an unsettling familiarity.

“Is that Yachi-san’s?” Tsukishima asked as he pointed at its spot on the wall.

“Eh, how did you know?” Yamaguchi answered, almost bewildered.

“It really looks like something she’d make,” Tsukishima said.

“Oh,” the freckled boy replied as he scratched the back of his head. “Yachi-san doesn’t exactly want other people to know that part about her, though.”

“Yeah, she asked me not to tell anyone either.”

“Really? She told you?” Yamaguchi said as he leaned closer to Tsukishima. “Tsukki, are you… into…?”

“No,” Tsukishima grimaced.

“Oh,” Yamaguchi said as he seemingly deflated into himself. “Why did she talk to you about it, though?”

“She just slipped it out when she visited me yesterday,” the blond said with a bored expression. “More importantly, I heard that you were the one who asked her to go to my apartment in the first place.”

“Well, someone had to check up on you, right?” Yamaguchi smiled weakly. Tsukishima frowned. “Sorry, Tsukki. I was just worried,” the freckled boy said as he turned his head away.

Tsukishima clenched his jaw. His mouth felt dry. He swallowed as he walked over to his bag and unzipped it.

“What’s this?” Yamaguchi asked as the blond pushed a package against his thigh.

“It’s for you,” Tsukishima spoke to the floor as he sat on the bed.

“Is it from Yachi-san?” 

“Well, she said you’d like it,” the blond admitted as he calculatedly maintained his composure despite being unable to keep eye contact. He heard the sound of the paper bag being torn — at first steady and tentative, but the room quickly grew quiet afterwards. Once finding patterns in the floor lost its calming abilities, Tsukishima discreetly wiped his palms on the bed sheets and rested his arms on his thighs, hunching over his knees. He slowly turned his head towards Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi had his hand smacked against his forehead, his eyes darting to different parts of the figure’s black and yellow packaging. He blinked a couple of times before opening and closing his mouth. His face flushed when he met Tsukishima’s gaze. “You… did you get this for me?”

“Well, I’ve been putting you through a lot of trouble, so...” Tsukishima trailed off as he looked away.

Yamaguchi bit his lip in an attempt to stop it from quivering. “Tsu—Tsukki, I… Why? This is so expensive and I… Where? You—“ he stammered. “I can’t believe… I’m so…”

The freckled boy’s blubbering reminded Tsukishima of Yachi’s own stuttering, and he’d meant to laugh at the similarity until he felt a weight around his shoulders.

“Tsukki, thank you,” Yamaguchi cried as he wrapped his arms around the blond and kept his eyes shut.

Tsukishima froze. His body tensed further when Yamaguchi tightened their grip as they started to sneeze. A certain warmth filled Tsukishima and his chest felt constricted.

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima managed to wheeze.

“Ah! Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi jolted, almost immediately releasing his grip on the other boy. He scrambled to the other end of the mattress, but Tsukishima caught onto his arm. Yamaguchi had inched far away enough to put a distance between their bodies, but their knees managed to brush against each other.

“No, wait,” the blond said as he brought his free hand onto Yamaguchi’s forehead. Yamaguchi reflexively brought his own hand to his forehead, and the contact between their fingers surprised the both of them. They instinctively brought their hands down to the bed. “You’re warm," the blond said.

Their fingertips on the mattress slightly touched, and when Tsukishima mulled over whether or not he should move, Yamaguchi began to speak.

“It might just be from the excitement,” Yamaguchi said with a laugh. “My fever’s been down for a day now, but I’ve still been taking my medicine, so it should be all right.”

Tsukishima squinted. “What do you mean?”

“Ah, well, the sudden spike in athletic activity must’ve given a shock to my system,” Yamaguchi said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“You should’ve said something,” the blond murmured.

“Well, you were sick too,” Yamaguchi muttered. The silence that followed was uncomfortable. The freckled boy cleared his throat before saying, “Tsukki, I’m going to go check on the soup for a bit.”

Tsukishima nodded and Yamaguchi left the room. The blond stood from his position and straightened out the bedsheets afterwards. As he walked over to the head of the bed, he heard the whirring of a blender. 

Tsukishima surveyed a bedside shelf. It had a lamp, a comic book with a bookmark lodged in, and a peculiar looking jar positioned on one of the compartments.

“Do you collect insects?” Tsukishima asked when Yamaguchi re-entered the room.

“Oh, yeah,” Yamaguchi replied as he walked over to Tsukishima’s side. There was a certain sparkle to his eyes that Tsukishima had seen before. “That’s my relaxing jar. This cicada’s quite a memorable catch since it peed on me when I caught it,” the freckled boy said as his eyes closed into crescent moons.

Tsukishima glanced at Yamaguchi’s mouth instinctively to see the smile he’d expected, but quickly looked away when all he saw was the other’s mask.

“Are you researching on them?”

“Not exactly. We had to maintain a small collection back in college, but now it’s more of a hobby for me. I’ve still been taking notes, though,”

“Only cicadas?”

“We researched other insects too, but I leaned more towards studying cicadas,” Yamaguchi said as he walked over to a drawer.

“Why?” Tsukishima asked, visibly baffled.

“Well, there’s no such thing as having too much data. There's always going to be something new to learn,” Yamaguchi shrugged. “I’m sure you feel the same way about dinosaurs.”

“What do you mean?”

“There's no need to lie, Tsukki. I saw all the books and figures you had in your room,” Yamaguchi teased as he passed a wooden frame to Tsukishima. There were three colourful cicadas displayed in it, each carefully labelled in artful calligraphy. “These are my favourites.”

“And yet you keep them in a drawer,” Tsukishima said as he raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, well, my… other guests… don’t take too kindly on seeing these sorts of things,” Yamaguchi answered with his eyes downcast.

“But they’re fine with your current decor?”

“Oh, when my parents come over, I pack those away too, of course,” Yamaguchi blurted out. “Ah, I mean…”

“It’s fine,” Tsukishima said as he returned the frame to the freckled boy.

“The soup’s probably ready to eat by now,” Yamaguchi said as he rubbed the hem of his shirt. “We should go eat it before it cools down too much.”

The two of them walked to the kitchen in silence. Yamaguchi prepared the table while Tsukishima filled two glasses with water. The dining table could seat only three people, as one side completely rested against the wall. The two chose to sit opposite to one another.

They clasped their hands and said their thanks. Tsukishima looked at the other boy as he waited for them to take the first bite. Yamaguchi kept his eyes on the table as he took off his mask, and his face crinkled up in a smile when he met Tsukishima’s gaze as he said, “Let’s eat!”

Tsukishima felt warm. He reasoned that it must have been from tasting the soup. Yamaguchi must have noticed Tsukishima’s discomfort since he asked if he was feeling unwell.

“I’m all right. It’s almost time for me to take my medicine anyway,” Tsukishima shrugged.

“Were you able to bring some tablets with you today?”

“I did, but I already drank them this morning,” Tsukishima replied.

He noticed Yamaguchi’s slight frown before he replied, “Oh, I see.” The freckled boy dipped his spoon in the bowl and stirred it for a while.

Tsukishima waited for Yamaguchi to scoop up the last of his food before collecting their plates. They silently took their positions by the sink. Their roles reversed this time, with Tsukishima washing the dishes and Yamaguchi wiping them dry afterwards.

It was a short walk to the front door. Tsukishima was in no hurry to finish tying his shoelaces by the entryway. Without turning back, he said his good byes and put his hand on the doorknob.

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said softly. 

The blond wasn’t sure if he’d even heard him right. He closed the door and re-entered the room, but didn’t say a word.

“It was pretty boring by myself today,” the freckled boy said as he fidgeted with his fingers. “So, you know, thanks for coming over.”

“Heh, we don’t see each other for a while and you already missed me?” Tsukishima scoffed.

“Yeah, right,” Yamaguchi said. The intonation of his voice made the words seem lifeless instead of harsh. His stoic expression quickly contorted itself — as though he were holding back tears. “And you even got me that Tikachu figurine that I’ve wanted for so long…“

“Uh,” Tsukishima said as he brought his lips into a straight line. “Okay. It’s no problem.”

Yamaguchi blinked twice before a smile slowly lit up his face. He laughed as he said, “Thanks, Tsukki. You’re such a great friend.”

When the freckled boy escorted Tsukishima out of their home, he gave the blond a hug that lingered a moment too long. Yamaguchi said, “Let’s both get better soon!” and followed it with their good byes and promptly returned back into their room.

Tsukishima walked back to his apartment feeling unsure of what to do with his hands, let alone what sort of expression to plaster on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song "Come Out of the Shade" by The Perishers really fits this chapter. I think. Maybe...
> 
> This is technically still a part of chapter 7, so it's a little shorter than the usual! On that note, I'd most likely be able to update again by this weekend :)
> 
> ALSO isn't it TsukkiYama month starting today??? Well I guess this somehow fits the pantry prompt, although not exactly... idk...


	9. Intuition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It technically isn't the "weekend" anymore, so I'm sorry for the slightly delayed update! I have no excuse. I could've posted this earlier if I didn't spend my weekend playing a video game (and crying over the fact that said video game crashed right before the ending) @__@
> 
> Thanks for all your comments on the last chapter!! I was pretty anxious about it since it was quite embarrassing to write, so it's reassuring to know that it was at least enjoyable to read.

When Yamaguchi groggily opened his eyes the next morning, he was greeted by a figurine that he’d only seen in his dreams. The sleeping yellow mouse was perched on his bedside shelf, and the boy only needed to lift his arm slightly in order to reach it.

“Ah, I didn’t just imagine it,” he said as he sat up and rubbed at his eye. Yamaguchi stretched and made his bed, smiling as he did the mundane chore.

The skies mirrored his cheerfulness a hundredfold, and the noontime sun beat down the city without forgiveness. By the time Yamaguchi reached the school, he was sweaty and exhausted. The teacher was greeted by a trio of students. They commented on his health before they returned to working on some props.

“Where is everyone?” Yamaguchi asked as he approached his desk. His lesson planner was set neatly on top of his table.

“Sugawara-sensei only joined us in the morning, and Shimizu-sensei caught a fever so she hasn’t been around the whole week,” one pupil announced.

“That means it’ll just be the four of us this afternoon, huh?” another chirped.

“Well, maybe five, if that other guy shows up again.”

“Other guy?” Yamaguchi asked as he sat.

“Someone came over yesterday and did your share of the letter folding, Yamaguchi-sensei,” the student replied. “I think Sugawara-san mentioned he was his roommate or something.”

“Do you know him, Yamaguchi-sensei?”

“I think so. Did he seem a little grumpy and unnaproachable?” Yamaguchi smiled behind his mask as the students nodded. “Why do you ask?”

“Will he be coming over to help again today? He’s so cute,” the lone girl in the bunch spoke up for the first time in the conversation. “I’m sure if he came over, I’d be even more motivated to help out here.”

“I think he has work at the museum, so I doubt he’d be visiting,” Yamaguchi spoke mostly to himself as he read the notes that Sugawara had written on his lesson plan. There weren’t much to speak of, and he only needed to prepare the visual aids for the lectures.

“Museum? Does he work at the National Science Museum?” the girl asked. Yamaguchi nodded. “Ah, I’m certainly going to the field trip now. Are you friends with him, Yamaguchi-sensei? Please tell him to tag along with us when our class goes over there,” she begged.

“Calm down,” the other pupil complained. “As the class president, you’re required to go whether or not the blondie ends up with us.”

“Oh, whatever,” the young girl said with a roll of her eyes. “I totally saw you eyeing him too, you know.”

“I was just looking at his headphones, okay?” they replied with a squeak to their voice.

“Pipe down, you two. If we finish this by today we wouldn’t have to come back tomorrow,” the third student groaned. “Let’s just get this over with, please.”

“Ah, Yamaguchi-sensei,” the girl voiced out after a moment of silence. “Shimizu-sensei said she wanted you to pick up some things this afternoon. But if you’re busy, I could go get them instead.”

She passed a small scribbled note to the teacher. On it, a name was written along with their contact number and department name at the National Science Museum.

“No, it’s fine. You three have helped out more than enough already.”

 

* * *

 

“Ah, Yamaguchi! It’s been a while. Are you here to meet someone again?”

“Yes, actually.”

“If you’re looking for Yachi, then she should be at the staff room right now.”

“Oh, I was actually looking for somebody else just now,” Yamaguchi flustered. He took a step backwards and bumped into one of the museum shop’s displays. “But thanks, Hinata. I’ll be heading to the staff room now, then.”

“Eh? Then who?” the shop clerk asked.

“Tsukki, he — I mean Tsukishima, he’s a tour guide here.”

“He should be in the middle of a tour right now, I think,” Hinata shrugged. “Or his shift might be over already. I don’t really bother with his schedule, to be honest. What do you want from him anyway?”

“Nothing in particular. Just wanted to say hi to a friend, I guess,” Yamaguchi said as he rubbed the nape of his neck. “Is Kageyama still on a sick leave?”

“Yeah, it really is flu season now, huh,” Hinata laughed as he pointed at his and Yamaguchi’s respective masks.

They exchanged well wishes before Yamaguchi went on to the upper floors to visit Yachi. Yachi had a big smile on her face when she caught sight of the other boy.

“You’re well! You’re here! But why?” she said as she jumped off her seat to greet Yamaguchi.

“I was sent to pick up posters for our —“

“Shh!” Yachi hissed as she put a finger against her lips. She eyed her surroundings before continuing, “Is this about a side job?”

“Um, sort of?” Yamaguchi said in a hushed voice. “Is this a bad place to talk?”

“Well, I’m still on the clock, so it’d be better to discuss it later. I’ll be off from work in around fifteen minutes. Would you be okay with waiting for me?”

“Sure, that’s fine,” Yamaguchi nodded. “But I’m not here to talk about a new project, I was just going to pick up the posters made for an event at school.”

“Eh? For a school?” Yachi tilted her head to the side. “You’re a teacher, right, Yamaguchi?”

“Well, at the moment, yeah,” the freckled boy answered with a furrowed brow.

“Are you co-workers with Shimizu Kiyoko-san?”

The boy nodded.

“Oh, so that’s what you’re talking about,” Yachi nodded to herself. “Why don’t we talk about this over coffee later? Would you mind?”

“No, that’d be fine. We’ve been planning to hang out in person for a while now anyway,” Yamaguchi shrugged.

“Wait for me at the lounge, I’ll head there in a bit.”

“All right.”

The lounge was located at the first basement level of the museum. On the way down to that area, Yamaguchi made a detour to the museum’s entrance. He’d intended to ask Nishinoya if Tsukishima had already left. The guards must have made a rotation since Nishinoya was replaced with a bearded security guard with an intimidating air about him, and Yamaguchi didn’t feel comfortable enough to engage them in conversation.

The lounge was bustling with people, and the banter that filled the air was quite pleasant to the ear. Yamaguchi turned towards the various groups that sat around the tables before settling himself on a vacant one.

“I’m sorry, did you wait long?” Yachi heaved, visibly out of breath. She plopped a paper bag on the floor and tried her best to keep her breathing leveled.

“Not at all,” Yamaguchi relayed. “You didn’t have to rush here, Yachi-san.”

“I was a bit excited, I guess,” Yachi smiled. “It’s good that you haven’t ordered yet. I get a discount here so I’ll order for us,” she added with a wink.

“But—“

“I still owe you for last time, you know,” she said as she walked up to the counter. “Do you think you’re well enough to eat ice cream already?”

“Eh, I don’t really care… I’ll still eat it.”

She returned to the table carrying two plates of sweets. Each of them had a hefty serving of soft serve ice cream with a drizzle of syrup and dinosaur-shaped wafers.

“Ah, Tsukki would love these,” Yamaguchi thought out loud.

“Did you say something?” Yachi asked.

“Nothing,” Yamaguchi said with a wave of his hand. “This looks too cute to eat, though.”

“Isn’t it? Let’s take a picture of it first then!” Yachi announced as she whipped up her phone. She meticulously laid out the plates in front of them until she felt satisfied with their arrangement. “I’ve already taken a lot of pictures of this dish, though,” she said with a sigh as her phone captured the image.

“Why don’t we join the picture, then?” Yamaguchi suggested.

“You wouldn’t mind?” Yachi said with a bright smile.

Yamaguchi took off his mask and the two posed in front of the camera. Yachi had to lean in and Yamaguchi had to slouch in order for them to fit into the picture. It might have been expertise gained through experience, but the two of them managed to get a picture that they were content with fairly quickly.

“It’s good to know you’re well enough to be out and about. You and Tsukishima-kun really had me worried!”

“He’s here for work already though, right?”

“Oh, yeah, that too. He said you were sick and asked me to tag along with him to visit your place yesterday, but I was too busy to go! I messaged you last night too, but you never replied to me,” Yachi pouted.

“Eh, really?” Yamaguchi said as he checked the phone in his pocket. “Ah, you’re right. Sorry, Yachi-san, I rarely ever notice my phone’s beeping.”

“It’s okay, Tsukishima-kun already compensated enough for your blunder,” the girl chuckled.

“Compensated for what?”

“Ah, I think ‘compensate’ makes it sound like such a sketchy thing,” Yachi mused. “Anyway, he gave me this Tikachu keychain this morning as thanks for visiting him last Monday and for apparently helping him yesterday. I don’t really understand the gesture but it was so nice of him,” Yachi smiled. “He’s actually a pretty good guy, huh?”

“Yeah, he really is,” Yamaguchi agreed. “I think I should be thanking you too, Yachi-san. Tsukki did say that it was through your suggestion that he even bought me the figurine in the first place.”

“What suggestion?” Yachi asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“Eh, you know, that vintage Tikachu figurine? Tsukki bought one for me and—“

“He what?” Yachi raised her voice and covered her mouth with a hand when other café-goers turned to look at her. “Really?” Yachi breathed as she ate a spoonful of ice cream. “Is it your birthday?”

“No, I was born in November,” the freckled boy answered simply.

“Is that so,” Yachi said as she cupped her face in her hands. “Are you two dating?”

Yamaguchi nearly choked on his wafer. “What? No,” he coughed. “What made you think that?”

“Eh? No matter how I look at it, it’s just unusual to spend thousands of yen on the fly, right? And who knows how long he even spent looking for it,” Yachi reasoned.

“Well, I’ve noticed that Tsukki likes to repay favors, so it’s not that unusual. I mean, he gave you something too, right?” Yamaguchi spluttered.

“I wouldn’t exactly consider that keychain to be of equal value to that figurine, Yamaguchi-kun,” Yachi said with a weak smile. “I really appreciate the sentiment but I wouldn’t be surprised if Tsukishima-kun just got it as an afterthought. He clearly went out of the way for you.” She paused to dab a tissue on the sides of her mouth. “But you care about each other, right?”

“Huh?” the freckled boy said with a raised eyebrow.

“Don’t sound so mad,” Yachi said as she waved a hand before her face. “You tweeted me that you’d been visiting Tsukishima-kun a lot when he was sick, right? If he checked up on you yesterday, doesn’t that mean you’ve just been nursing one another? You need to be pretty good friends to be willing to do that.”

“Yeah, we’re just friends,” Yamaguchi repeated to himself. “It’s not like he visited to take care of me, anyway.”

“Oh? He didn’t?” Yachi said as she made a face. “Why’d he go to your house, then?”

“He just passed me some money.”

“Eh? Money for what?” Yachi raised an eyebrow. “You two aren’t so close as to do anything illegal together, right?”

“What? It’s not like that. It was just my share of some prize money from playing a volleyball match last weekend,” Yamaguchi explained.

“You’re in a volleyball team with Tsukishima-kun?” Yachi asked with an interested look on her face.

“Um, well, not exactly,” Yamaguchi said as he scratched the back of his neck. “I was just substituting for Tsukishima since he was still sick last Saturday. The team did invite me to be an official member, though.”

“That’s great! Did you say yes?”

“I didn’t give an answer yet,” Yamaguchi confessed. “School’s starting soon, so when my work starts to pile up I’m not sure if I’d be able to commit to the team,” he said as he lightly rubbed the tip of his nose.

“Hmm, you’ve got a point,” Yachi nodded. “But it shouldn’t be a problem once you stop teaching, right?”

“I wonder,” the freckled boy said with a faint smile on his face.

“Didn’t you mention last time that you weren’t planning on being a teacher for long?”

“Well, somewhat.” Yamaguchi answered slowly.

“Why? What’s been troubling you about it?” Yachi asked as she set her spoon on her plate. She still had some food left, but she folded her hands on the table and waited for Yamaguchi to speak.

“Ah, well, it’s been satisfying in its own way,” Yamaguchi began, dragging out the words from his mouth. “My co-workers are nice and the job gives a sense of purpose and all, but…” the boy lifted his head and saw that Yachi was still listening. She nodded her head and Yamaguchi continued, “it’s not what I want.”

Yachi paused for a moment. She turned her seat to face Yamaguchi better as she replied, “What would you rather be doing, then?”

“I want to be a researcher, actually,” Yamaguchi admitted. The girl leaned in, urging him to speak. “I want to know more about where things came from, where they’re headed, and what we should do to help steer things into a better direction,” he explained in the vaguest way he could. “But to be honest, I’m not sure if I could even do that anymore.”

“Why not?” Yachi questioned, genuinely interested.

“There’s different reasons… It’s hard work, you know. I’m not sure if I’d be a good cut. Lots of other people share the same dream, and surely they’d be able to do much better than me, so what’s the point in me chasing after the same thing, you know?” Yamaguchi sulked. “I actually interned at a lab for a short while, but I kept making mistakes. They eventually switched me to intern at a teaching program instead. It was really frightening —“

“Wha… messing up at your dream job… Yamaguchi-kun, I know what you mean,” Yachi coughed out, her face paling by the minute. “When I first started taking design jobs, it was really frustrating for me, too. I felt like I wasn’t doing anything right, and everything just got so challenging and it wasn’t fun at all… I wanted to give up so many times,” the girl cried upon recalling a previous client.

Yamaguchi had to calm her down for a bit before she could continue.

“But you know, I think it’s okay to make mistakes. Just because things got challenging didn’t mean that I was bound for failure, I guess. I mean, despite all my past mishaps, this place still hired me,” the girl let out a small laugh. “This museum is full of important things, and being in charge of relaying its messages in visual form is such an honor. It really makes me proud that I didn’t give up before. Ah, but now I’m just talking about myself! I’m sorry, please do continue,” she said as she lowered her head.

Yamaguchi sat frozen for a moment. “Thanks.”

“Eh? What?”

“I’m glad I talked to you, I feel much better,” the boy smiled.

“Huh? I don’t think I did anything, but it’s good to know I was able to help somehow,” Yachi said as she returned the grin. They sat silently as they ate, but it felt more comfortable than awkward.

“By the way, I thought Shimizu-san would be picking these up today, and not you. Well, not that I have any complaints, or anything,” the girl spoke as she motioned to the paper bag on the floor.

“Ah, these are the posters? Can I take a look?”

Yachi nodded.

“Shimizu-san’s got a fever, apparently. She’s still recuperating at home,” Yamaguchi relayed as he peeped into the bag. “Eh, what’s this?” he said as he took out a small sheet of paper.

“Ugh, I forgot! I was supposed to post that on the company bulletin board before leaving the staff room,” Yachi grunted. “It’s just a calendar for September.”

Yamaguchi skimmed the events listed out until his eyes focused on a familiar name. “Eh, it’s Tsukki’s birthday in a month?” he exclaimed just as his phone began to ring.

“That’s your ring tone? How do you even ignore that?” Yachi commented.

“Ah, well, this is the one for calls. The one for messages is a little more subdued,” Yamaguchi defended himself. He simply stared at his phone once he took it out of his pocket.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?”

“I don’t know who it is, it’s an unknown number.”

“Then pick it up and find out…?”

“Eh, I think I’ll rather just wait for them to message me first to identify themselves,” Yamaguchi dawdled.

“Just give me that,” Yachi said as she swiped the phone out of the freckled boy’s hand. Her grip on the device was shaky as she brought the receiver to her ear. “H-hello, who is this?”

Yamaguchi snatched the phone back. “Sorry, this is Yamaguchi speaking. May I know who’s calling?”

“It’s Tsukishima. Who was that just now?”

“Eh, Tsukki? How did you get my number?” Yamaguchi said, baffled. Yachi stared at him with questioning eyes. “Ah, that was Yachi-san. Why are you calling me?”

“Huh, you gave me your number before, didn’t you? Is she at your house? I’m at the supermarket right now, is there anything you need?”

“What? Um, no, we’re at the museum. Why? Were you planning on coming over?”

“If you’re feeling well enough to go around town then I guess I don’t have to.”

“Ah, well,” Yamaguchi stammered. He glanced at Yachi, who smiled suspiciously as their gazes met. The freckled boy excused himself and walked out of the lounge. It took a while for him to find a quiet place, and when he checked his phone he found that Tsukishima still hadn’t put down the call. “How have you been?”

The other boy laughed. “Why are you asking that? We saw each other yesterday.”

“I know,” Yamaguchi smiled to himself. “But I heard you were working today. Are you sure you’re well enough to be doing that, Tsukki? We don’t need to make any surprise trips to the hospital anymore?”

“I’m okay,” he paused. “You?”

“I’m good, too,” Yamaguchi replied. “Hey, Tsukki.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll talk to you later, okay? I kind of left Yachi-san alone at our table.”

“Wow,” the boy chuckled. “You really are worse than you look. Okay.”

Yamaguchi meant to react, but Tsukishima had already disconnected the call.

“Did you guys make plans for tonight?” Yachi asked sweetly when Yamaguchi returned to his seat.

“What? No, I don’t know if I’ll be meeting him,” Yamaguchi said with a forced laugh. “Sorry I kept you waiting.”

“It’s okay,” Yachi replied as she bit the last of her wafer.

The two of them sat and talked for a while longer, mostly about their shared interests. Their conversation was predominantly an exchange of toned down squealing and excited chatter. When Yamaguchi finally finished eating what was left of his melted ice cream, the two of them walked to the train station together. They needed to get on different train lines, so they shared a quick hug before going on their separate ways.

* * *

 

* * *

 

The sky was already a deep shade of blue and violet by the time Yamaguchi reached the doorstep of his apartment. The doorknob creaked and groaned as he turned his key in. The darkness of his apartment matched the eerie hues of the outdoors, and the freckled boy quickly switched the lights on as he entered his room.

After he took off his shoes and stowed away the posters, he wrapped an apron around his waist and walked over to the refrigerator. Yamaguchi hummed as he surveyed its contents and picked out ingredients. It was only when he started preparing a chopping board that he realized he’d unconsciously planned on preparing dinner for two.

Flustered, he put down the knife he’d been holding and motioned to put away the extra condiments, mentally berating his absent-mindedness. As he did so, a muffled ring tone echoed in the room, and when he walked over to retrieve the phone from his bag, he was surprised to see the caller ID.

“Tsukki, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, Yamaguchi,” the other boy said. Yamaguchi felt the room grow stuffy. “Are you home?”

“Yeah, I just arrived.”

"I see. Are you free for dinner?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * The sleeping Pikachu (or in this case, Tikachu) figurine is valued at around JPY20,000, which roughly translates to USD170.
> 
> * I used an Instagram PSD from [here](http://misterjonesrph.tumblr.com/post/87877032923/here-kids-a-lil-pack-of-4-psds-that-resemble). I've never used the Instagram app in my life so I hope I was able to edit it correctly orz
> 
> * [The ice cream dish is an actual thing you can order from the museum's café](https://38.media.tumblr.com/aa618144a2d2dc161279d0dc2544f7bd/tumblr_nf5vuyKQQt1r6vbc4o3_r1_1280.png)!
> 
> \---  
>    
> Yachi knows what's up!!! Anyway, I don't want to leave this story hanging for too long, so here's hoping that I'd be able to finish the next update within the week. No promises, though! As always, the next chapter would be uploaded a week from now at the latest :)


	10. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re reading this before going to bed, while on the toilet, at class, or if you went out of your way to sit down and check this update — bless your heart, and buckle up!! We’re going on a little ride B)

“Eh? Dinner? Tonight?” Yamaguchi asked with a shrill voice.

“Is there a problem?” Tsukishima spoke loudly so as not to be overpowered by the background noise.

“No, not really. It’s just a little sudden,” Yamaguchi said with a forced laugh. “I don’t really understand, but I won’t mind going over there for dinner —“

“No way am I staying there for the night,” Tsukishima groaned.

The sound of knocking startled Yamaguchi. “Ah, Tsukki, wait for a sec,” he said as he took the phone off his ear and walked over to the door. When he opened it, the freckled boy’s jaw went slack.

“Is this how you always greet your visitors?”

“Does it ever cross your mind to tell me when you’re coming over?” Yamaguchi said, perplexed. “Why are you even here?”

“I left my bag under your dining table.”

“Under the table? Ah, okay, here it is,” the other boy replied with a nod. “This is awfully light. What’s in it?”

“Just my headphones,” Tsukishima replied. “I especially need them tonight if I plan on sleeping,” he added with a roll of his eyes.

“But why? Your part of the neighborhood seems pretty calm,” Yamaguchi questioned.

“Tell that to Sugawara-san.”

“Is he a loud snorer?”

Tsukishima snorted. “If only. Whenever his boyfriend comes over, I doubt they even get any sleep.”

“Really?” Yamaguchi asked with a mischievous grin. “So Sugawara-san’s a scream—“

“Sorry, I’ve never tried listening close enough to be able to tell,” Tsukishima replied in monotone. He let out a deep sigh, which was accompanied by the loud rumbling of his stomach.

“Do you want me to cook something?” Yamaguchi offered.

“No, it’s fine, I already bought us some take out on the way here,” Tsukishima said as he raised his hands to show the paper bags he’d been carrying.

“You got some for me? How much do I owe you, then?”

“There’s no need to pay anything. I’m already here uninvited anyway,” Tsukishima shrugged.

“Are you sure? I mean, shouldn’t it be my turn?”

“Your turn?” the blond said with a furrow of his brows. “For what?”

“Ah, well, never mind,” Yamaguchi spluttered out. “I haven’t cleaned up the dining table yet, so why don’t we eat at the living room?”

The two of them walked to the sitting area. A tan sofa was lodged against a pale cream wall, its simplicity contrasted by the varied ornaments that littered the room. Tsukishima sat towards the left side of the seat, setting paper bags on each side of him.

“This one should have your order in it,” he said as Yamaguchi sat next to him.

“Oh, the fries have gotten quite cold,” the freckled boy announced as he opened the bag and placed it to his right.

“They’re all soggy now,” Tsukishima frowned as he turned to Yamaguchi. “You’re really chugging them down.”

“I like them best when they’re soggy, so I tend to eat them quickly,” he laughed nervously.

“You can have the rest of mine later, then.”

“Really?” the freckled boy said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“I was pretty hungry so I ended up ordering a lot, but I don’t think I’d be able to finish it.”

“I’ll gladly help you with that, then,” Yamaguchi smiled.

Tsukishima took off his eyeglasses and wiped them on his shirt, only to have it get even more smudged. “Hey, let me borrow your shirt for a bit.”

“Wh—“ Yamaguchi began, but was interrupted by Tsukishima grabbing the hem of his shirt. “You could have just used a tissue.”

“Wasteful,” the other replied simply.

The freckled boy raised his head from looking at Tsukishima’s hands to studying his face. “Hard day at work?”

“Not really,” the blond shrugged as he put his eyeglasses back on and met Yamaguchi’s stare. “How about you? Did anything interesting happen?”

“Well, it was pretty uneventful. I didn’t have much work to do today since someone else already took care of them for me,” Yamaguchi replied. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tsukishima shrugged. “Sugawara-san just forced me to do it. I was actually supposed to go back this afternoon but I got too caught up with other things.”

“Thanks anyway, it was a big help,” the boy smiled. “You left quite a good impression on my students, too.”

“Really?” the blond said incredulously, as though expecting Yamaguchi to call it off as a joke.

“They wanted to invite you to join us during our visit to the museum, actually. Maybe you could be our tour guide or something,” the freckled boy suggested. “If it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle, that is.”

“I guess it could be arranged,” Tsukishima replied with a smirk. “But are you sure this is your student’s request and not your own?”

“Absolutely. I’m surprised I didn’t even think of it myself earlier,” Yamaguchi said as he rubbed his nose with an index finger. “But I think it’s a good idea. I’ve been curious to see you at work.”

“I won’t disappoint, then.”

“You better not, especially since the science club president’s got high expectations of you,” Yamaguchi teased.

“What?”

“She was there when you were helping out yesterday.”

“I wasn’t able to get a good look of the kids there, so I doubt I could even remember if you described her to me,” the blond shrugged.

“That’s harsh. Should I ready her for heartbreak then?”

“What? That just sounds troublesome. It’s not like I’ve got any ties with anyone right now anyway.”

“That’s a weird way to put it.”

“Maybe,” Tsukishima said and took a sip of his drink. “Besides, the only person I’ve been seeing lately is you —“ the blond cleared his throat, “I mean, as in, you know, aside from the people at work and my roommate.”

“Right, of course,” Yamaguchi laughed nervously. He opened a packet of ketchup and drizzled its contents over his french fries, then stuffed his mouth with food.

“You should slow down a bit,” Tsukishima commented.

“It’s okay,” Yamaguchi dismissed. He gulped down some of his drink once he started getting hiccups.

The air felt tense, as though the quiet of the room held a weight of its own. Tsukishima crumpled the wrapping of his hamburger and put it in the paper bag he’d kept to his side. He removed the cover of his cup and chugged down the final drops of his drink. When he finished, he rested his chin on a fist and stared off into the distance.

The freckled boy dipped his last french fry in ketchup and ate it. Without anything to do with his hands, he felt anxious and unsure. He turned to Tsukishima to find the other boy looking deep in thought. Yamaguchi managed to see the other’s paper bag lying next to them and remembered their earlier promise. Tsukishima seemed unapproachable, and since Yamaguchi didn't want to interfere with the other’s contemplation, he leaned in an attempt to reach over to the bag. Just as he did so, Tsukishima turned in his direction, mouth half-open as though planning to speak, but when they came in contact neither of them managed to say a word.

Tsukishima’s lips felt cold and wet on the corner of Yamaguchi’s mouth, and they lingered long enough for Yamaguchi to process that they were softer than what he’d imagined.

The two of them jolted away from one another in surprise and in shock. Tsukishima’s eyeglasses were askew on his face, and the blond promptly adjusted them. Yamaguchi instantly apologized the moment he realized what had just happened, but when the two of them mistakenly locked gazes, the freckled boy struggled to maintain his composure.

“I’m sorry, Tsukki, there’s some ketchup on your cheek,” Yamaguchi said as he passed a tissue.

"What does that say about you?" Tsukishima scoffed. There was a slight redness to his face.

“No, not there, a little more to the left. Oh, no, a little lower. You just missed it.”

“Seriously?” Tsukishima said with a distressed chuckle.  “You know what, why don’t you do it?”

Yamaguchi stared at him. “You wouldn't mind, Tsukki?” Tsukishima nodded and turned his head towards the wall. Yamaguchi cupped their chin with his hands and gently dabbed at Tsukishima’s skin with a tissue, hands shaking from leftover nervousness.

“Are you even anywhere near it? I could barely feel anything,” the blond mocked. 

“Don’t complain so much when you couldn’t even get it yourself,” Yamaguchi said as he started to vigorously rub the blond’s cheek.

“Whoa, now that’s too much,” the blond said with a smile. The force made his eyeglasses tilt on his nose. He grabbed Yamaguchi’s hand and squeezed it tight, causing the freckled boy to stop his movements. Yamaguchi laughed as Tsukishima lowered their hands to the sofa. His grip was still firm and Yamaguchi's hands hurt slightly, but the small smile that played on Tsukishima's mouth betrayed his feigned annoyance.

“Hey, I wasn’t done yet,” Yamaguchi whined in between his snickering. His chelt felt warm from suppressing his grin and laughter, among other things.

“Be more gentle, why don’t you,” Tsukishima complained as he released his hold on the other’s hand.

“Fine,” Yamaguchi said, glancing at Tsukishima’s eyes as he wiped the last of the ketchup off of the other’s face. He dabbed in slow strokes until the smudges and salt particles were gone. “Hey Tsukki, did you even sleep last night?”

“Barely,” Tsukishima answered. “Hopefully the headphones would help me sleep better tonight.”

“Wasn’t Sugawara-san staying at Daichi-san’s recently? Did he mention why he’s back at your place?” Yamaguchi questioned.

“No, I bolted out of there pretty early this morning so I didn’t get the chance to ask. When I went home and saw all these boxes around the place, I just left immediately after packing away my groceries,” Tsukishima shrugged.

“And then you went here?”

“Yeah.”

Yamaguchi waited for Tsukishima to elaborate, but when all he met was silence, he cleared his throat before saying, “Do you think Daichi-san’s going to be moving in with you two?”

The blond massaged his temples. “Shit, I didn’t think of that. I hope not.”

“Is it really that bad?” the freckled boy asked.

“I guess it’s not that horrible, but I wouldn’t want to live with it. I don’t really have a choice though,” Tsukishima sighed.

“Why not?”

“It was already tricky to convince my parents to stay there, so moving out would probably be difficult, too.”

“Did you move there so it’d be closer to the museum than the regular dorms?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s great that your parents were so supportive of your decisions then, Tsukki,” the freckled boy smiled weakly, but he quickly broadened his grin. “Either way, your apartment’s probably going to get really busy soon, huh? It wouldn't be so lonely there anymore.”

“Probably,” the blond repeated with a groan. “I’ll be catching up with work for the rest of the week, so it’s likely that I wouldn’t even be bumping into those two too much,” he sighed.

“Sugawara-san and Daichi-san would be preoccupied with school preparations too, so they’d be in the campus more often.”

“Would you be busy too, then?” Tsukishima asked after a short pause.

“Not as much as them, at least. Sugawara-san and Daichi-san have added responsibilities as coordinators, so my workload pales in comparison,” Yamaguchi awkwardly laughed as he rubbed his forearm. “I’m just glad I’m able to get the rest of the week off. With school starting next week, I’ll surely miss having all this free time.”

“So you’ve already made plans for your vacation weekend?” Tsukishima questioned.

“Not really. I just know that I’d like to go out jogging this Saturday morning,” Yamaguchi replied. “Why don’t you join me, Tsukki?”

“This Saturday? I guess that’d be fine,” the blond said with a nod of his head. “I’ll have to go to volleyball practice pretty early that day though, so I’d only be able to accompany you if you’re heading out in the early morning or in the evening.”

“Volleyball practice, huh,” the freckled boy hummed. “We can go in the morning, then. I think I’d like to make it to practice, too,” he said, his voice breaking towards the end.

“Really?”

“Ah, it’d probably be better for me not to go, huh?” Yamaguchi said in a whisper.

“If you want to go, then go.”

“But what do you think, Tsukki? Should I?” Yamaguchi asked as he pursed his lips, his eyes staring right at Tsukishima’s own.

The blond didn’t break eye contact. The room fell serious and silent, but Tsukishima smirked when he finally replied, “You look confident enough to know the answer already.” He wiped his hands on his pants before standing up and carrying his garbage to a nearby trash bin. “I still have some stuff I need to do at home, so I should get going.”

“Oh, okay,” Yamaguchi stuttered as he stood from his seat and dusted the crumbs off his lap. He followed after Tsukishima into the kitchen area.

Tsukishima slung his backpack over his shoulder and sighed.

“You don’t look so excited to go home, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi commented.

“Naturally. You never feel welcome in somebody else’s love nest,” the blond grumbled.

“If it gets too unbearable, you’re always free to sleep here,” the freckled boy offered.

“That’s awfully nice of you,” Tsukishima said with a mocking tone.

“Just returning the favor,” Yamaguchi replied as he kept his front door open for Tsukishima to pass. Once his guest had made it through, Yamaguchi leaned on the door frame and kept the door ajar with his foot. “Thanks for the food, Tsukki. I’ll see you on Saturday, then?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be coming here much earlier than that.”

“Just make sure to tell me beforehand, okay?” Yamaguchi said worriedly. Tsukishima simply let out a small laugh, a faint sound in the crisp summer night. “Well, good night then, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi called out softly.

“Yeah, sure,” Tsukishima breathed. The blond slowly brought his gaze to the lower half of Yamaguchi's face. He quickly refocused his eyes to his feet and walked towards the direction of their own apartment. Yamaguchi stared at his form until he could no longer see the other’s blond hair that shone ever so slightly in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this update, my younger brother drew the various figurines in Yamaguchi’s living room since I’m unbelievably hopeless when it comes to sketching robots. He doesn’t have an ao3 account, but he’s on [FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6082869/vgamenerd) and [dA](http://vgamenerd.deviantart.com/)!
> 
> This whole chapter was an ordeal to finish but the ~accidental kiss~ was undoubtedly the most challenging to write. The ~choreography~ of the incident is actually based on something that happened to me in real life, but I’ve sort of repressed the memory haha so I hope I was able to recreate the scenario in a believable way ;v;


	11. Risen Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d like to apologize for the late update. These past few weeks I’ve been making it a point to stick to my personal deadline, but I really didn’t want to rush this one. This chapter ended up being quite lengthy, so I hope that makes up for the delay. 
> 
> Thanks so much for sticking around!! <3

A faint stream of white graced the room, illuminating the various ornaments that filled its spaces. Towards the center of the room was a mess of sheets that lay motionless on a mattress, the pillows strewn with a tangle of gold and coal. The early morning brought a chill to exposed skin, but while in the arms of another, warmth wasn’t exactly hard to come by.

The dim lit room was blurry and foreign, but the sensations in Tsukishima’s body were not. From the legs entwined with his, to the arms wrapped around his shoulders, and to the unmistakable heat in his chest — the places where Yamaguchi touched were on fire and the hot breath that blew on Tsukishima’s nape only fanned the flames.

Tsukishima did not move. It was not the first time this had happened. It was only when nature’s call proved impossible to ignore that he decided to attempt breaking free from Yamaguchi’s hold.

With limbs of lead, Yamaguchi wasn’t an easy obstacle to overcome. Tsukishima abandoned all hope of moving gently and unceremoniously shoved the freckled boy away from his person. Yamaguchi groaned in his sleep, spoke in garbled tongue as he kicked a pillow out of the bed — now there were three on the floor — and resumed his peaceful slumber.

Tsukishima made a beeline for the comfort room and relieved himself. The noise echoed with crisp surround sound quality. It was music that reset the mood, allowing the beating of his heart to steady. The blond groggily washed his hands in the sink and splashed the cold water on his face. It served to wake his senses, but he knew that what he really needed was a good night’s sleep.

He walked to the kitchen, his footsteps piercing the silence of the night. Tsukishima squinted his eyes in the dark and ran his fingers against the wall, struggling to find the light switch. He closed his eyes before finally flicking the lights on, and when he’d adjusted to the brightness he began to search for a mug in the cupboards. Tsukishima prepared two.

When the blond re-entered the bedroom, the light from the outdoor lamp still filtered through the drawn curtains. The lifeless form that sprawled across the matress was nothing picturesque. Tsukishima reasoned that the sand dunes formed by the dark blanket draping around their body must have been charming in its own way. Why else would he be staring?

Tsukishima walked over to the bed and sat by the edge of it. He tried the standard protocol and said, “Wake up,” while lightly nudging Yamaguchi’s shoulder. They didn’t even stir. “Wake up, Yamaguchi,” he said again, and this time the freckled boy drowsily opened his eyes.

“Eh? Tsukki?” Yamaguchi groaned as he lifted his head slightly off of the mattress, then gradually lowered himself and closed his eyes again.

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima tried once more.

“Wait, huh?” the freckled boy said as he sat up on the bed. “Sorry, I thought I was still dreaming. What’s wrong?” Yamaguchi yawned.

“You wanted to go jogging today, didn’t you?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, I said that, didn’t I?” Yamaguchi nodded to himself. “What time is it?”

“Around four in the morning. If you get up now, we can make it in time for the first train.”

“Wow. That’s early,” the freckled boy said in monotone. “I smell coffee. Is that coffee?”

“Yeah, I made some.”

“I see. Okay. I think I can function, then,” he said as he slowly rose to his feet. Yamaguchi squinted his eyes as he walked into the kitchen, and when he caught sight of the mugs on the dining table he immediately positioned himself on one of the chairs. “Why are you here again?”

Tsukishima made an effort not to laugh. “I got here last night, remember?”

“I don’t. You didn’t tell me beforehand, did you?” Yamaguchi said as he stirred his drink.

“I called you.”

“Oh? Oh, right,” Yamaguchi said as he cupped his hands around the mug. “Calling me at one in the morning to say that you’re at my doorstep isn’t that much of a heads up, Tsukki.”

“Probably not,” Tsukishima replied as he sipped his coffee.

Yamaguchi stared at the blond’s face, his mouth set in a line. He continued stirring his coffee. “Where are your eyeglasses?”

“In the bedroom. Why?”

“Nothing, just asking,” Yamaguchi replied a little too quickly. He brought the mug to his lips and drank the coffee in one go. “Ah, good morning!” he exclaimed with a smile, bringing the mug down to the table with a thud.

“Good morning,” Tsukishima replied with a raised eyebrow and an amused expression.

“Were you able to sleep well?” Yamaguchi asked as he crossed his arms on the table.

Tsukishima shrugged, “I guess.”

The freckled boy frowned. “Why are you smiling? Did I say something in my sleep?”

“What? I wasn’t smiling,” Tsukishima spat.

“No, you were. What happened?” Yamaguchi insisted.

“Nothing.”

Yamaguchi groaned. “Tsukki, that look on your face is so suspicious.”

“You’re just imagining things,” Tsukishima reasoned. When he finished his drink, he rubbed a thumb over his lip before saying, “Anyway, thanks for letting me stay the night.”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice,” Yamaguchi laughed weakly. “Well, I was the one who offered you to come here anyway. Were they at it last night, then?”

The blond just rolled his eyes. “Let’s not bring that up this early in the day.”

“The headphones didn’t help?”

Tsukishima glared at Yamaguchi. “No. Well, it’s not the sound that bothers me, it’s the constant possibility that I might walk into them doing things.”

“Oh dear,” Yamaguchi chuckled. “That would be awkward. It’s kind of hard to imagine. Daichi-san and Sugawara-san are quite reserved when I see them at work.”

“That’s a given. You work at a school,” Tsukishima groaned. “All their pent up frustrations get released the moment they’re within closed doors. It’s ridiculous.”

“How long do you think they’ve been going out?”

“I think Daichi-san’s been coming over for over a month now, but they might have been dating well before that.”

“Then it was around the time we met?”

“Ah, yeah, I think so,” the blond nodded. “It was during a rainy season, right?”

“So you remember?” Yamaguchi asked with a grin.

“I doubt I’d ever forget —“ Tsukishima cleared his throat, “— that lunch we had at the park.”

“You’re still not over that?” Yamaguchi laughed.

“We should have lunch at the park again next time. For new material, that is,” Tsukishima offered with a sly grin of his own.

“I’m up for that,” Yamaguchi nodded. “We should get going now, though. I wouldn’t want to end up waking up early for no reason because we’d missed the first train.”

 

* * *

 

The sky was grey by the time the two friends made it to the park. Several joggers had already begun their rounds before them, and others already sported drenched shirts despite the bitter morning breeze.

Yamaguchi patted his pockets to check his belongings. He hadn't brought along much — just his wallet and keychain. “I should’ve brought some water,” he thought out loud. He turned to Tsukishima to find them stretching their legs. The freckled boy decided to start warming up as well.

Their surroundings had already begun to brighten as Yamaguchi was wrapping up, and Tsukishima put on his headphones and hummed, “All right.”

“Wait, seriously? I didn’t bring my phone, so if you —“

“What are you talking about?” Tsukishima scoffed as he looked down on Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi ducked his head and clumsily retied his shoelaces. When he finished, he awkwardly dusted off his knees and stood next to the other boy.

The blond thumbed through his playlists and settled on a certain track. “I’ll follow you.”

With that, Yamaguchi nodded and set off on his usual route. He started brisk walking before launching into a sprint, making his face and ears feel chill in the crisp air. Ever so often, he’d glance over his shoulder to look at Tsukishima, catching a glimpse of white headphones covered by tufts of light hair. With every minute that passed, the distance between them grew.

By the time they almost finished their first lap, the sky was already ablaze with the flush of sunrise. Yamaguchi paused to appraise how the trees caught fire under the sun’s glare, and how the dance of light and shadow bled patterns onto the ground where he stood.

Tsukishima moved towards him, his quick footing gradually coming to a halt.

“Sorry, Tsukki, you can go ahead,” Yamaguchi apologized.

The blond looked at him as he took off his headphones. “What?”

“Ah, um, nevermind,” the freckled boy whispered.

Tsukishima stood by the sunlight. The sweat beads that formed on his temple glistened. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them, his eyeglasses slightly fogging from his breath.

“Tsukki, are you cold?”

“Well,” the blond replied as he stared at his pale palms.

“Here, let me,” Yamaguchi said, offering a hand to Tsukishima.

“Wh-why?”

“I’ve been told my hands are always warm,” he explained. “Maybe I could help you a bit.”

Tsukishima stared at him. His hands twitched upwards but he hesitated from moving them any further. Yamaguchi inched closer and brought their hand into his own.

“Wah, you’re cold as ice!” Yamaguchi cried, but his grip on Tsukishima only tightened as a gust of wind blew on their faces. The sun slowly crept up the sky and painted the world in a new glow. “Mornings can be quite beautiful too, huh? I’ve never really paid much attention to it when I’m rushing to work,” he smiled.

“Ah, well…”

“Hey, would you want me to warm up your other hand too?”

“That’s enough,” Tsukishima coughed, the warmth having already enveloped him from head to toe. “If we dally for too long, our bodies would have already cooled.”

“You’re right,” Yamaguchi smiled.

They still jogged even when their shirts started clinging to their heated bodies. They mostly went in silence, but continually paced themselves so that they were almost always side by side. When Yamaguchi glanced at him, he noticed that Tsukishima hadn’t put his headphones back on. Yamaguchi smiled to himself, but the freckled boy turned away a moment too soon to notice that the blond had been glancing at him as well.

 

* * *

 

The sky had faded into a light blue, and the cool air now grew heavy with humidity. When Yamaguchi returned to his apartment, he freshened up, put on a fresh set of clothes, and packed a duffel bag before heading right over to Tsukishima’s place. When he arrived at the building, Tsukishima was already by the entrance, surrounded by cats.

The two of them bought light breakfasts from a convenience store before boarding a train.

“You look nervous,” Tsukishima commented as Yamaguchi stiffened beside him.

“Ah, well, I haven’t talked to Ennoshita-san yet so I’m kind of worried,” Yamaguchi said with a faint frown.

“You haven’t spoken to him since last time?” Tsukishima snickered.

“Do you think he’ll be mad?”

“You’re going to be telling him what he wants to hear, so I doubt he’d have anything bad to say,” the blond shrugged. "Are you sure you still want to go?"

"Yeah," he nodded. Yamaguchi slowly relaxed his shoulders throughout the remainder of the train ride.

They got off at Komaba Todai-mae. The volleyball court building was right by the gate, and from the main entrance Yamaguchi was able to get a better look of the university. Various trees and shrubbery made the campus feel refreshing. There were a few people roaming about, mostly minding their own business, and Yamaguchi darted his eyes around to see as much of the place as he could.

The courts were already bustling by the time they entered. The calls of players and the squeaks of rubber shoes echoed in the gymnasium, but a boisterous voice rose above the noise.

“Tsukki, you’re back! And I see you brought your friend with you,” an imposing player walked towards them with a volleyball tucked neatly in his arms.

“What the hell? Don’t call me that,” Tsukishima complained.

“Yamaguchi-kun, I take it that you’ve accepted our invitation, then?” Kuroo smiled, suavely ignoring Tsukishima. Yamaguchi quickly nodded. “Good. You two should go do your warm-ups then, there’s something I want you to try.”

“What? I didn’t come here to entertain you,” the blond spat.

“That’s true. Yamaguchi-kun’s plays are impressive enough, so if I were you I’d be worried about being incompetent, too,” Kuroo sneered.

“Ah, Tsukki, that’s not—“

“Don’t bother, they tend to be like that,” Ennoshita cut in. “You two are late. Why is that?”

“Well, uh,” Yamaguchi hesitated.

“It’s fine, no need to look so tense,” the other boy laughed. “It’s great that you’re here, although I would’ve appreciated it if you told me in advance.”

“I’m sorry, it was kind of a spontaneous decision,” Yamaguchi confessed.

“Thanks either way.” Ennoshita said as he folded his arms before him. Yamaguchi glanced to his side to find that Kuroo had already returned to the courts. Tsukishima had walked over to the sidelines. "I heard that you got sick recently, too," the older boy added.

"Oh, yeah, but I'm fine now, though," the freckled boy smiled.

"Was Tsukishima able to hand you your share of the prize money?"

Yamaguchi nodded.

“Good. You should go stretch then, I wouldn’t want to keep your escort waiting any longer.”

“Huh? Oh,” Yamaguchi followed Ennoshita’s line of sight and was met with Tsukishima’s bored scowl.

Tsukishima seemed too intent and focused to be bothered with by banter, and the two proceeded to warm up their bodies in silence. When they were finally allowed on one of the courts, it was during the other team members’ break, and they had the chance to have a two-on-two match with the club’s captain and the group leader.

It was Yamaguchi’s serve. Kuroo explained that he wanted to try playing against it. “Think of it as a rite of passage,” he added. Tsukishima clicked his tongue.

“What’s wrong?” Yamaguchi asked. He stopped midway from heading to the service zone and walked towards Tsukishima.

“Those two are the best receivers on the team. This isn’t a regular welcoming gift,” the blond glared at the opposite side of the net.

“Yeah, I’d gathered that much from the game I played,” the freckled boy rasped.

“They’re probably testing you. Just serve however you normally do,” Tsukishima advised. “If it flubs and they manage to return it, I’ll block them off.”

Yamaguchi smiled as he said, “Okay, Tsukki!”

The freckled boy scuttled towards the end line and took a deep breath. A whistle was blown. When Yamaguchi opened his eyes, he saw the other side of the court and felt as though it were so far away. The volleyball that he held to his chest quivered. He’d never seen how Tsukishima played and hadn’t an idea as to how their teamwork would fare. As he tossed the ball and caught sight of the blond’s back he wondered, “What would he think of me if I failed?”

A moment’s hesitation. That much was enough to affect one’s precision. The ball barely made it to the other side, and it landed squarely into Kuroo’s arms, as though it had been aimed there. Ennoshita quickly tossed the ball and the captain poised for the attack, but just as swiftly as the other team made their move, Tsukishima set his own plan in motion.

The ball was grounded onto the brown floors with a loud thud.

“Ah, you’re a tough cookie like always,” Kuroo grinned.

“Don’t be so stiff, Yamaguchi. You’re in good hands,” Ennoshita called out from the other end. “Regardless, we’ll still crush you in the end.”

“Is that a challenge?” Tsukishima scoffed.

“Sorry about that, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi called out.

“Why? We got the point, didn’t we?” Tsukishima said as he raised an eyebrow.

It was certain that Tsukishima had wanted to see how Yamaguchi’s serves were like. Knowing that they were playing on the same side of the net was almost reassuring. When the opponents scurried to receive the other boy’s serve and missed by a fraction of an inch — guarding by the net and getting to see their faces contort up close brought about a sense of satisfaction in itself.

When their opponents succeeded in returning the ball, the rallies were intense. Individually, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were exceptional but their teamwork was mediocre, however they performed considerably well considering their opponents. They lost both sets.

“Good job,” Kuroo exclaimed by the end of the game, his clothes soaked in sweat. “Do you think you could join our practice next week?”

Yamaguchi rubbed his forearm. “Ah, thanks. This semester I’ll be having classes every Saturday morning, so I don’t think I’d be able to be around that much.”

“That’s fine, it’s not like we practice all that religiously when school starts anyway. Our meeting schedule changes from time to time, so if you happen to be free, hopefully you’d get to tag along,” Kuroo said and walked over to another team member.

“Nice serve,” Tsukishima commented as the freckled boy sat beside him on the bleachers.

“Ah, th-thanks Tsukki,” Yamaguchi flustered. “Your playing was pretty good, too. Serves are all I’m good for, but you were amazing all around.”

“That’s too much,” Tsukishima slightly laughed as he brushed off the other’s comment. He opened his bag and took a sip from his water bottle.

“Tsukki, is there a water fountain nearby?” Yamaguchi asked as he stared at the blond’s jug.

“The closest one’s still undergoing repairs.”

“How about the others?”

“You’ll have to walk through half of the campus.”

The freckled boy gulped. “Seriously?”

“Thirsty?” Tsukishima asked.

Yamaguchi forced a laugh. “I guess you could say that. My bottle’s empty, though.”

“You can have some of mine, then.”

“Really? I mean, no, it’s fine, you can just direct me to where the water fountain is,” Yamaguchi stammered.

“It’s too much of a trouble to go out now in this heat.” Tsukishima said sternly.

“Oh, okay then, I guess,” Yamaguchi yielded, stumbling over his words. He accepted Tsukishima’s offer and positioned it in a way that the bottle’s mouth didn’t touch his lips.

They practiced until the sun shone at its peak in the sky. The other members still had jobs and appointments to attend to in the afternoon, so the training was cut short. When Tsukishima and Yamaguchi re-emerged from the changing rooms, their ensemble reduced the team to a fit of giggles.

“I’m sorry Tsukki, I should've brought something else,” Yamaguchi apologized profusely. They were wearing the same museum souvenir item, except that Tsukishima’s print was that of a red Tyrannosaurus rex.

“Hey, Tsukki, we get the idea that you two are close and we’re proud that you actually have a friend, but there’s no need to rub it in,” Kuroo teased as he walked past the two and towards the main gate.

“Would you quit it with the Tsukki?” Tsukishima scowled.

“That’s unfair. You seem fine with it when it comes to Yamaguchi-kun,” Ennoshita called out from behind the blond, earning the agreement of the other team members.

“Uh, Tsuk—Tsuki…shima, where was the water fountain again?” Yamaguchi hesitantly cut into the conversation, nervously holding his empty bottle before him.

Tsukishima squinted his eyes at the other boy, but didn’t comment. “When you reach the rotunda, take a right and keep going straight ahead. Look for the student hall.” Yamaguchi nodded and said his thanks before hurrying to the direction Tsukishima had instructed him. The blond followed their back with his gaze until the other boy was out of sight.

Ennoshita coughed as he nudged Tsukishima on the side. “What’s this?”

“What?” Tsukishima frowned.

“Your emotions are showing through your face,” Ennoshita commented. When Tsukishima just returned a puzzled look, the older boy sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Look, I won’t spell it out for you. Why don’t you just go after him? He might get lost thanks to your vague instructions.”

“They weren’t vague.”

“That’s besides the point.”

Tsukishima let out a deep sigh and brought a hand to his stomach. “Fine.”

 

* * *

 

When Yamaguchi caught sight of Tsukishima in the distance, the smile on his lips could’ve split his face into two. “Ah, Tsukki, thank goodness you’re here.”

“If you didn’t know where you were going, you should’ve just asked someone around,” the blond commented.

“Yeah, well, I couldn’t find anybody…” the dark-haired boy trailed off.

“What do you mean?” Tsukishima asked, eyeing the group of students that were chatting by a nearby building.

“Everyone just looked so busy and I just didn’t want to disturb anyone,” Yamaguchi admitted.

“And now that you’re lost, you’re fine with bothering me?” Tsukishima accused.

“Ah, no, it’s not like—“

“You’re heading into the opposite direction,” Tsukishima spoke in monotone. He retraced his steps back towards the rotunda and looked over his shoulder. “Hurry up, I’m starting to get hungry.”

“Okay, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi smiled as he caught up to Tsukishima.

 

* * *

 

The harsh sun was unrelenting, like a spotlight that melted stage makeup to a cakey mess. Laugh lines and wrinkles were made evident in its harsh glow, and the oiliness of an exposed forehead beamed like a signal that cried for help.

Yamaguchi ran a hand through his hair and fanned himself. To be in a room heavy with the smell of food whilst on an empty stomach was not turning out to be a pleasurable experience. “Tsukki, would it be all right if I ate at your place?” he asked when the two of them carried plastic bags as they finally exited the eatery. All the places they’d visited until that point had been full of customers. “My legs are too tired to move already.”

“Whatever,” Tsukishima replied. His pace fluctuated, hastening whenever he dwelt upon his hunger and dropping once his fatigue set in.

They tottered past the hungry cats that blockaded the apartment complex’s entrance and practically speed-walked to Tsukishima’s unit.

“Don’t you ever feel like changing that?” Yamaguchi asked, pointing at the Strawberry Shortcake sticker on the door.

“Shh,” Tsukishima hushed as he slightly cranked the door open and peered inside.

“What? It’s not like we’re going to be entering some sort of battleground,” Yamaguchi stifled his laughter, but peeped through the doorway anyway out of curiosity.

The place was silent. There were still some cardboard boxes lying around the hallway. Tsukishima carefully opened the door to allow Yamaguchi and himself in. They cautiously walked over to the kitchen — more so for Tsuksihima, as Yamaguchi just looked like he was playing along. When the blond pulled back a chair for Yamaguchi and walked over to the opposite side to seat himself, the freckled boy tentatively approached the table and reluctantly sat down. The pitter patter of faucet water dripping into a basin faintly resounded through the room.

“What are you waiting for?” Tsukishima asked.

“Ah, nothing,” Yamaguchi said hoarsely.

They unpackaged their food and the aroma of fried rice and savory vegetables filled the air. The two of them wolfed down their meal and only paused to chug down water to relieve their hiccuping.

“They probably aren’t here yet,” Tsukishima thought out loud.

“You just noticed that, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi laughed. “They’re probably working right now.”

“And what about you?”

“I told you last time, didn’t I? They’re coordinators, so they’re probably making final arrangements at the school. The new semester opens this Monday, so I’m sure they’re busy at work right now,” Yamaguchi explained as he prepared a spoonful of food.

Tsukishima nodded as he reached for his glass and sipped some water. “You’d be getting busier soon, then.”

“Yeah,” Yamaguchi smiled weakly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not really looking forward to that.”

“Why not?” the blond asked as his forehead creased.

“Oh. Uh, well,” the freckled boy fidgeted. Tsukishima looked at him sharply, and it only served to make Yamaguchi’s chest tighten. He pursed his lips and lightly rubbed his nose before saying, “You know how it is. It’s not exactly easy to deal with kids all the time.”

“But you do it anyway.”

“Of course! Of course, it’s my job…”

The blond’s eyes narrowed, his stare unwavering. “Right…”

“Well, it’s stressful — I mean what kind of job wouldn’t be? — but it can be fun sometimes. It’s a respectable profession and I’m always relearning things, so it can get exciting, too. It’s as much of a learning experience for me as it is for the students, I guess.”

“…Why do you keep trying so hard to lie to yourself?” Tsukishima said with a slight exhale.

“Wh-what?”

“You don’t look or sound like you’re enjoying yourself,” the blond droned.

“I—“

Tsukishima lowered his head to scoop a spoonful of rice. “Didn’t you want to be a researcher?”

Yamaguchi bit the insides of his cheek.

“If that’s what you want, you should be preparing to be just that, not wasting your time like this. There’s an open house —“

“No,” Yamaguchi exclaimed through gritted teeth as he slammed a hand on the table. Tsukishima jerked his head to look at him. “I may not be where I want, but don’t you dare say I’m wasting my time.”

Tsukishima’s mouth felt dry, but he swallowed what he could. Yamaguchi stood from his seat.

“You say that it’s just an investment, but aren’t you already working towards your own dreams? Why do you treat it like you’d only reap the rewards once you’re through? Aren’t you happy to be on the path you are right now?” Yamaguchi huffed. His eyes widened for a moment as his brows upturned in worry. “Don’t you realize how lucky you are, Tsukki?” he whispered, his voice cracking. The freckled boy took in a deep breath.

“Yama—“

An upbeat buzzing echoed in the dining area. Yamaguchi reached into his pocket and stared at his phone’s screen. “Tsukki, I… I should go now. I, uh, have somewhere I need to be this afternoon. So,” he sniffed as he lowered his head and turned to the room’s passageway.

Tsukishima stared at Yamaguchi's back as the other stopped and slightly turned towards him. The freckled boy hesitated and gripped the doorframe. Their fingers trembled before they eventually let go. When Tsukishima heard the click of the apartment’s door, he still couldn’t find his voice. He stared at the seat across from him.

There were droplets on the table.

The pitter patter of the faucet rang louder than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunger, humidity, and horrid sleep deprivation are not a good mix!
> 
> I’m already close to filling half a B7-size booklet with notes and thumbnail sketches for this story… If I’d stuck to my initial planning, this fic would’ve ended by 11 chapters, but clearly this isn’t anywhere near done yet. :v 
> 
> I’ll be updating again by the weekend~ See you then! :)


	12. Recognition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a reeeeaallly experimental chapter! 
> 
> I felt that it would be the best time to try this type of storytelling... It’s something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time but didn’t have the confidence to pull off. I figured that if I never tried it out, then I truly would never be able to achieve it in the future, so I decided to start now. With that said, the style of this chapter may be a bit different from what I’ve written so far! ;v;
> 
> There are a bunch of images in this update. This might pose a problem for those reading on their phones, sorry :x The doodles radically change in terms of style, too (but that’s nothing new.)
> 
> Better safe than sorry - **trigger warnings** : mention of vomiting, however it's not voluntary and not said in detail. Also, some of my colour choices may be straining to the eye...

* * *

 

* * *

 

Yachi slowly approached her co-worker and teetered to meet his gaze. “Tsukishima-kun, could you help me out for a bit?”

“What for?” he asked in a hoarse voice, but he sounded more dazed and haggard rather than annoyed.

“I need to put up some posters by the announcement board but I couldn’t reach the empty space,” Yachi explained with an apologetic expression. “But if you’re busy, I can go look for someone else if it’d be too inconvenient —“

“It’s fine,” Tsukishima replied.

Yachi looked on in awe. “Well, that was quick.”

“What?”

“No, it’s nothing,” the girl replied, slightly panicked. “You’re usually more difficult to persuade, that’s all.”

“Really,” Tsukishima replied. The intonation in his voice made it sound like he’d meant for it to be a question but ended up saying it as a statement.

“It’s rare to see you here on a Saturday afternoon. Did something happen?” Yachi asked. The two of them started walking towards the other side of the staff room.

“Yeah. I’m filling in for Narita-san. Heard they got sick.”

Yachi sighed. “Man, everyone’s falling ill left and right. You were sick until just recently, right? And then Yamaguchi ended up catching it from you, too.”

Tsukishima pursed his lips before replying. “Yeah.”

“By the way, I heard you got Yamaguchi-kun a present recently,” Yachi smiled. “What inspired you to do that?”

He crinkled his nose. “More importantly, how did you even know about that?”

“He told me, of course! He’d been harping about my Tikachu figure for a few days and then you surprised him with the actual thing — of course he’d be too happy to keep his excitement to himself,” Yachi said as he looked over to her companion. “What sort of occasion called for such an extragravant gift?”

“Did I need a reason to do that?”

Yachi stared at him with wide eyes. “Well, normally people need that sort of thing… But if you did it out of the blue it's just... Not that it would be uncharacteristic of you to be kind and generous, but —”

“It was kind of a spur of the moment kind of thing.”

“Oh. But, uh, didn’t you at least have some sort of inspiration to do it?”

“If you put it that way, then…,“ Tsukishima paused to take a poster from Yachi and tacked it onto the board. The printed paper informed of an upcoming special exhibit for prehistoric mammals debuting in two weeks. “… it might have been recognition.”

“Recognition?”

“Is this all you wanted me to help you with?” Tsukishima said with a sigh.

Yachi nodded slowly. “Yes… I think I can manage to ask Azumane-san to help with the ones downstairs... Thanks for the help.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Yachi tilted her head to the side in worry and curiosity as she looked at Tsukishima’s retreating back.

 

* * *

 

 

* * *

 

 

He turned to a shelf and weighed his options. When he finally opened a book, he simply stared at the pages. The words floated in his mind, but they didn’t quite settle down. There was a disconnect between the situation he’d constructed in his head and the scenario written out in ink. He looked out his window. It was a starless night, but his eyes twinkled in realization. His fingers traced the letters over his phone’s screen as if it were second instinct.

Backspace.  
Backspace.  
Backspace.  
Lock.

 

* * *

 

 

“Yamaguchi, are you sure you’re all right with this?” Yachi asked as she stared at the other’s face.

“Of course I am! You already came all this way during your day off, and I don’t want to back out on my promise either,” Yamaguchi said as he brought a paper cup to his lips. The Monday blues tainted Yamaguchi’s coffee and left a sour aftertaste in his mouth, like the bile he’d thrown up that morning.

“I was all for helping you out in preparing for Tsukishima’s birthday, but if you aren’t feeling up to it now, then I would understand,” the girl returned with a comforting smile. “I mean, how long has it been since you’ve even spoken to each other?”

“It’s only been two days.”

“But haven't you been inseparable lately? Then that’s almost unnatural,” Yachi frowned. “Did he really say something that bad?”

“I’d like to think he had good intentions,” Yamaguchi began, “but the way he said it just didn’t sit well with me.”

“It brought back some bad memories, huh?” Yachi nodded sympathetically.

“Awful ones,” Yamaguchi corrected. “He just sounded like how my parents used to lecture me.”

“But he didn’t know about that, did he?”

“About what?”

“How you feel about all that.”

“Well, I never really got into detail with him, I guess.”

“So you can’t really blame him now, can you?” Yachi asked.

“I don’t know,” Yamaguchi said as she shook his head.

“Has he tried contacting you since then?” Yachi questioned as she tilted her head slightly. Yamaguchi shook his head. “Have you thought about talking to him?”

“Well, yes, but somehow it just doesn’t feel right to,” Yamaguchi confessed. "I don't think it'd be right of me to be the first one to reach out."

"You're right there," Yachi said as she took a sip of her iced tea. "I don't think you're wrong, and it's awful that he offended you. The important question is, do you still want to be friends with him?"

Yamaguchi rubbed his nose. "Maybe...?"

"If you delay any longer, it’d just get more awkward to face him,” Yachi said with a determined look. “Ah, but Tsukishima-kun can be so scary… I can totally understand why you’d be hesitant about it.”

Yamaguchi let out a chuckle.

“Do you miss him?”

“Yachi-san, it’s only been a few days —“

“So what? I miss my dog the moment I step out of my house. It's not that unusual.”

Yamaguchi avoided Yachi's eyes and stayed silent.

“Ah, well... Anyway... It might be a little crowded because of the after school rush, but why don’t we go to a hobby shop for now?” the girl offered.

Yamaguchi smiled as he turned to face her. “That sounds like a good idea.”

 

* * *

 

A creaking of a door signaled his entrance. It was out of habit that he greeted the ghosts of his home.

“I’m back.”

He set his things on a nearby countertop and stared at his palms. They were stained with chalk and red ink like fresh scars from war. He walked over to the comfort room and stood by the sink. The water cleansed his skin but it couldn’t wash away the burdens that buried beneath it. He caught a glimpse in the mirror and was met with the night sky that slowly dyed red and frowned. If his skin somehow managed to harbour a shooting star, he already knew what he would wish for.

 

* * *

 

 

Yet again.

 

* * *

 

The harsh sun glared through the curtains and caused a rude awakening. The boy opened his eyes sluggishly, and the first thing he caught sight of was an innocent sleeping figurine by his bedside. He unwillingly recounted its source and curled into their blanket. He shut his eyes tight and remembered how their bed used to feel warmer. He sighed.

When he woke again, he checked his phone and frowned at its wallpaper. The next thing he focused on was the digital reading of the time. He was running late.

He wondered if he still had the luxury to keep dreaming.

 

* * *

 

"Ah, Tsukishima-kun!" Yachi called out. "Are you free next Monday?"

"Why?" the blond asked.

"Hinata-kun's planned out a get-together since a lot of the volunteers will be quitting by the end of the month, so I was wondering if you'd be up for it," the girl said with a smile.

"Oh, I have practice on that day, so I don't think I'd be able to make it," the blond said with a shrug.

"You mean volleyball practice? Would Yamaguchi-kun be going with you, then?" Yachi beamed.

"It's Monday."

"Ah, school's open, right..." Yachi laughed awkwardly. "Have you spoken to him recently?"

"No...?" the blond said with a raised eyebrow. "You're asking this because...?"

"No reason! No reason at all," she replied, waving her hands before her defensively. "If you talk to him next time, please remind him to change his SMS ringtone into something he could actually hear. It's almost painful to wait hours for a message I'm not even sure would come!"

 

* * *

 

 

He felt too lazy to fix up his own meal. He decided to take a detour home to buy time for mulling over whether he should buy takeout instead. It was by chance that he stumbled upon a secluded bookstore he'd never noticed before. The ring of the door chime brought a warmth to his chest and the perfumed smell of aged paper lured him in.

He leisurely walked through the aisles, pausing every now and then to thumb through a title or two. A hefty book caught his eye and he hesitantly took it off the shelf. The fossil on the cover stared at him, a proof that no matter how great something was, it could grow obsolete once it failed to adapt to its circumstances.

He struggled to lodge the book back into the shelf.

 

* * *

 

When he jogged past a school by the northern half of Ueno Park, he caught sight of the school's janitors making their rounds and of schoolchildren chattering as they walked towards the entrance hall.

Just as he sped past the campus, his playlist skipped to the next track. It was out of place from the ones he’d been playing to set his pace. It was slow and yet his heart beat faster with each moment. He ran into the cold air but his face started to heat up. The scenery sped past him until he reached a standstill by the end of his route. The sky was a bright sea of white clouds, but in his mind he saw a sunrise. He blew into his hands even though they’d already heated up from the memory.

He wondered how much longer he could keep running.

 

* * *

  

“Just you today?” Ennoshita greeted as the younger boy entered the gymnasium.

“Oh yeah, I heard Yamaguchi-kun had classes on Saturday mornings,” Kuroo chimed in and welcomed his teammate.

“Really?” Ennoshita asked as he turned to the blond, asking for confirmation.

“I guess.”

“So it was true then. Well, that’s too bad. I was hoping he could join us in our game next week,” the captain said.

“Same here. With some effort, you two could have worked well,” Ennoshita agreed.

 

* * *

 

 

 

* * *

 

The weather forecasts had predicted fair weather all week long. As expected, clear skies and sweaty palms were commonplace.

The school celebrations were underway. Buntings strewn atop trees and around railings brought colour to the muted tones of the campus. Posters lined the various boards set up in the entrance hall, and several students crowded over the most vibrant of them all.

“Say, what was the schedule for today?”

“It says here that we’re having the quiz bee eliminations first, then the results for yesterday’s mural making competition would be announced.”

“Ah, I’m so nervous about the video contest. Do you think our short on global warming turned out okay?”

“Eh, nothing we can do about it now!”

“Weren’t we supposed to go to the museum on Friday?”

“Yeah, we’d be going there tomorrow. It’s our last stop for the field trip.”

 

* * *

  

The museum building was the same as ever. Its brick exteriors may have crumbled slightly from the wind and the way the light danced on its facade was different from when he last visited — but essentially, nothing changed. Yamaguchi repeated to himself that it'd be fine. The museum’s floors wouldn't swallow him whole no matter how much he pleaded in his head. The building was large enough — what were the odds of bumping into the person he’d been thinking about for two weeks?

“Did you ask Tsukishima-kun to be one of the tour guides?”

“Huh?” Yamaguchi asked wide-eyed.

“I went over to the reception area and they told me that a certain Tsukishima Kei would be handling your group today,” Sugawara smirked. “I guess I wouldn't have to worry about you and your class then, but don’t forget to discipline the kids once they get too rowdy. We’re to wait for our tour guides at the lounge, so we should get going as soon as possible,” the teacher smiled as he went over to a group of students.

“Yamaguchi-sensei, are you all right?” asked a girl that approached him.

“I’ll be fine. Where are the rest of the science club members?”

“They’re all doing their jobs, so there’s no need to worry,” she said proudly.

“And how about you, miss president, shouldn’t you have your own responsibilities?” Yamaguchi asked.

“Of course! I’m here to join you in greeting our tour guide.”

“Is that so?” Yamaguchi deflated. "Could you go gather your classmates first, then?"

“Wait a moment, Yamaguchi.”

“Oh, Shimizu-sensei! How have you been?” the younger girl greeted.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” the teacher smiled. “Yamaguchi, here’s the token of appreciation that we’d be giving our respective tour guides afterwards.”

“Ah, I can hold on to it for you, Yamaguchi-sensei,” the class president offered.

"Thanks," Yamaguchi smiled uneasily.

Shimizu continued, “I wanted to give one to Yachi-san for helping us out with the posters, but she has yet to respond to my message. Do you have a way to contact her?”

“Ah, sure, I’ll let you know once I hear from her, Shimizu-san,” Yamaguchi replied. Shimizu excused herself and walked over to her own class. The freckled boy sighed and requested his student to assemble their classmates and proceeded to walk over to the museum’s entrance, where an energetic security guard greeted them.

“Good afternoon, Yamaguchi-kun! It’s been a while,” Nishinoya exclaimed as he frisked the teacher’s pockets.

“Yeah, it has,” Yamaguchi said with an uneasy expression.

“Hey, who’s she? Weren't you with her that one time, too?” Nishinoya whispered as he motioned towards Shimizu, who was being frisked by a lady cop by the other side of the entrance.

“Oh, that’s my co-worker, Shimizu-san.”

“Shimizu, huh. How fitting,” the security guard nodded slowly as he moved on to inspecting a student.

Yamaguchi walked over to the side and brought his class together as though on auto-pilot. Once everyone was settled, he split the students into two lines and directed them to the lounge.

"Yamaguchi-sensei, you aren't looking too good," the class president asked after weeding her way to the front of the line.

"I'm okay. No need to worry," the embarrassed teacher replied.

The class snaked their way to the escalators and walked over to the lounge, where they seated themselves by some tables. The teacher joined his students and waited there until it was almost unbearable for him to stay idle. "Ah, I'm going to go to the restroom for a bit. Would you watch the class while I'm away?" he asked the class president.

"No problem. Just try not to take too long Yamaguchi-sensei, I think our tour should be starting soon."

Yamaguchi excused himself and brisk walked to the nearest comfort room. He'd intended to finish quickly, but when he exited the room and passed by the museum shop, he crossed paths with a familiar face.

"Yachi-san!" he smiled instinctively.

"Ah, Yamaguchi-kun!" the girl greeted with mirrored enthusiasm. "I'd forgotten your school tour was today. How's it going so far?"

"We'd just arrived, so we haven't started yet," Yamaguchi replied. "I'm kind of worried, though. I'd forgotten that Tsukki was going to be our tour guide."

"Why...? Wait, don't tell me you guys haven't reconciled yet," the girl pouted.

"I'm sorry, I really don't have an excuse..."

"No, there's no need for you to apologize," Yachi assured. "On the bright side, you could use today as an opportunity to work something out, but at the very least, I hope it doesn't affect your work."

"I hope so, too," the freckled boy faintly nodded. "By the way, Shimizu-san's been trying to contact you, apparently. Is there a reason why you haven't been answering her?"

"Oh my goodness, she has?" the girl blushed. She frantically patted her pockets. "Ah. Oh dear. I must have left my phone on my desk. Ah, oh no... I should be getting back to the staff room as soon as possible, then. Ah, but I still have to check things down here, ugh... Please tell her I'm sorry just in case I end up taking more time!"

"Sure thing," Yamaguchi said with a smile.

"Just text me if anything turns up, okay? Good luck!"

"Thanks, Yachi-san," the boy said as he waved good bye. His legs felt heavy as he made his way back to the lounge, and as the sound of chattering grew louder he started calculating the steps he took. The room had various groups seated around, but Yamaguchi noticed that his co-workers were nowhere to be found.

"Yamaguchi-sensei!" cried a familiar female voice. "Where have you been? Shimizu-sensei's and Sugawara-sensei's classes have all left already."

"Ah, I'm sorry, I ran into a friend on my way back," he apologized. "Where are your classmates?"

"They're right there," the class president said as she pointed to a corner in the room. The students were huddled around a table, chatting and laughing in excited voices. Yamaguchi approached them with the intention of reprimanding them for their noise, but when he was close enough to see all their faces, his throat felt much too dry to speak anything out.

His students greeted him, and soon enough the whole table had their eyes on him. The last to turn their gaze was the young man seated to the side, but it seemed like he had been the center of attention. The bespectacled blond smiled as they stood up from their seat and extended a hand to Yamaguchi and said, "You must be the teacher they've all been talking about. I'm Tsukishima Kei, I'll be your tour guide for the afternoon."

"Ah, right. We'll be in your care," Yamaguchi replied in a daze. Tsukishima's hand felt cold and tense in his, just as he'd remembered.

"Well then, why don't we get started?" Tsukishima asked the students. They protested and whined, saying that they wanted to chat with him for just a little while longer. "Don't worry, if your teacher allows it, we can talk more after the tour," the blond said with a reserved yet charismatic smile. As he turned to Yamaguchi, his grin slightly faltered. "It wouldn't be a problem, would it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! Have you guys read the latest chapters of the manga by the way??? lmao my Yamaguchi and Tsukishima feels are off the charts right now tbh


	13. Passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine my horror when I found out that I got a sudden influx of comments on an experimental chapter that I didn’t even feel 100% about lol I thought you guys were going to brick me TTuTT but wow I am ~blown away~ by the responses on the previous chapter, thanks so much for all your kind words ;v;
> 
> Also, a little note: I had to make a correction in Chapter 2 woops… I misinterpreted the museum’s floor layout so I had to change one line in that chapter. Nothing that would warrant another read, though!

Tsukishima lead the group from the lounge in the Japan Gallery and out to the Global Gallery — a separate building that housed the special exhibit floor, amongst other things. Yamaguchi helped direct his pupils out of duty and habit, and he braved the frontline despite the threat of his knees giving out at any moment. The two walked alongside each other in silence, with a small army of children diligently trailing behind them.

When they arrived at the building’s entrance, the teacher’s and the tour guide’s shoulders bumped as they both reached for the door’s handle. It seemed as though Yamaguchi had pulled away first, but the force from Tsukishima’s body had thrown him off balance. The freckled boy felt his pulse like a bomb ticking down to zero as he blurted, “I’m sorry, excuse me,” and moved to the side to make way for his students.

“No, that was my fault,” Tsukishima replied slowly. The blond waited for Yamaguchi to finish the headcount before entering the hall himself. Once the group's tickets had been checked by the exhibit's attendant, their tour was set into motion.

The large space was awash with yellow lighting, dramatic in the way it made things seem aged and valuable in its glow. The plain walls and soft grey floors served as the backdrop to an otherwise delicate glimpse of the past.

“These fossils were uncovered in Japanese soil throughout the course of many years,” Tsukishima said, or something along those lines. Yamaguchi was more fascinated with the way the lights made the tour guide's flaxen hair shine. His eyes glinted as he spoke of origins and lifestyles. The blond scanned his audience and caught Yamaguchi looking at him. Instead of glancing away, the teacher froze and stared back until Tsukishima moved on to the next display.

One of the highlights of the special exhibition was the fully reconstructed fossils of Palaeoloxodon naumanni skeletons. The three fossils were exhibited as a sort of family — a mother, father, and child. The class was silent as they observed the fossils and read the posters.

“They look a lot like wooly mammoths,” a student commented.

“Yes, but Paleoloxodon naumanni thrived in places that were warm and rich with trees. This is quite a stark contrast from the mammoths that preferred cooler open grasslands.”

They walked over to the side which displayed a comparison chart along with other visuals.

“What do you think makes ours different from the Paleoloxodon naumanni found in China?” the tour guide engaged the group.

“They look smaller,” one student chirped.

“That’s correct,” Tsukishima nodded. “The ancestor of this species originated from the Eurasian continent and moved to Japan through a land bridge,” the blond retold as he motioned his hand over a map. “Over the course of time, this land bridge was eventually covered by the sea, and as a result this animal evolved independently as it spread throughout the country.”

“Were they smaller in size because of this isolation?” Yamaguchi asked on impulse. He tensed upon realizing that he’d spoken up.

“That’s one of the theories. It's not yet possible to confirm it with the evidence currently available to us,” Tsukishima answered without batting an eye.

“But if they were able to evolve and multiply, why did they end up getting extinct?” a pupil asked.

“It would’ve been cool to see elephants around here,” another piped up.

“Wouldn’t it?” Tsukishima smirked. “Depending on which way you look at it, fortunately or unfortunately, the drastic changes in the planet’s temperature may have been one of the major factors why the Palaeoloxodon naumanni were not able to survive. The species were also hunted by the Japanese inhabitants of the time, so that may have caused a significant decline in their numbers.”

“Why do you think our ancestors started to hunt them?” Yamaguchi asked his students and tentatively glanced over to Tsukishima. The blond was already looking at him. When their eyes met, Yamaguchi smiled his practiced “Teacher Grin” and the tour guide covered his mouth as he cleared his throat.

“Their fur might’ve been made into clothing, like a comfy blanket for the winter months.”

“They could’ve used their tusks for weapons.”

“Indeed, some of their fossils were found amongst the various stone and bone tools that our ancestors used,” Tsukishima remarked.

The tour continued on in such a manner. The students seemed naturally inclined to indulge their tour guide in discourse, and when the exchange grew stagnant, Tsukishima encouraged questions or dropped random trivia to get some discussion going. Eventually, Yamaguchi joined in on helping stir the student’s cooperation through prompting them.

Yamaguchi looked on at how his students were absorbed by Tsukishima’s brand of charisma and smiled to himself. The class president’s dazzled look reflected the teacher’s own feelings regarding the matter. If he might have asked Tsukishima to be their tour guide out of personal bias, he still wouldn’t have regretted it. Even so, he couldn't ward off the heavy feeling in his chest.

“It’s essential to value the living, but it’s also important to honor those that have passed. We study the history of our world and the creatures that once roamed it in an attempt to grasp the phenomenon that is life itself. There is so much left to learn and to discover. The more we know about these species of the past and the problems they faced, the more likely it is that we would be able to prevent the beings that we know today to simply become stories and fossils to be marveled at in the years to come,” Tsukishima said at the end of the tour.

The group returned to the lounge and met with Sugawara’s and Shimizu’s classes. When the students had settled down, the teachers took turns in presenting their tokens of appreciation — a plaque bearing their school seal along with a general message agreed upon by the teachers themselves. Once they'd given them to their respective tour guides, there was a short photography session afterwards to document it for the school’s newspaper.

While waiting, Yamaguchi all but inconspicuously patted his palms against his pockets as he attempted to regain control of his legs. He looked on as Shimizu and Sugawara stood by their tour guides with gentle faces and poised stances. With what feigned comfort Yamaguchi had found in the business-like manner he’d regarded Tsukishima for the past hour, all was lost by the time he had to stand within such close proximity of the blond. The practiced smile he’d perfected from taking selfies was a saving grace. When the flash of the camera went off, the freckled boy blinked to rid his vision of the green fuzziness that caused his head to throb even more.

“Tsukishima, how have you been?” Sugawara asked as he approached the two. Yamaguchi looked at him quizzically, the spots in his view now faint but still impossible to ignore.

“Nothing notable,” the blond shrugged.

“You’ve been keeping this guy in check, right, Yamaguchi-kun?”

“Eh, um, well…”

The older boy frowned as he said, “Tsukishima, I hope you’ve been eating well and taking care of the place.”

Tsukishima furrowed his brows. “Yes, I have.”

“It would be a problem if you got sick again when no one’s around to take care of you. Why don’t you consider moving in, Yamaguchi?” Sugawara asked as he turned to the freckled boy.

“What? M-me? What are we talking about?” Yamaguchi stammered.

“I can take care of myself,” Tsukishima hissed, flitting his eyes to the side to check on anyone that might have been within earshot.

“There’s no need to act so tough,” Sugawara grinned. “Besides, it’s not all that bad to have someone to depend on, right?”

“Yamaguchi-sensei, may we have our pictures taken with Tsukishima-san too?” a group of students asked the freckled boy as they tentatively approached and inadvertently interrupted the three.

“Ah, I’m fine with it, but that’s not exactly something I can decide,” Yamaguchi spoke in the level tone he used with his pupils. “You should ask him first.”

The students looked at Tsukishima with sheepish smiles, shoving one another in an effort to force someone into confronting the blond. The tour guide made a half-hearted effort to conceal his discomfort.

“Tsukishima,” Sugawara said slowly as he observed the prepubescent struggle before him.

Tsukishima attempted to smile, but only ended up distorting his face into that of constipation. “Hmm…”

“One picture should be fine, right?” Yamaguchi rasped as he attempted to smile. The students squealed as Tsukishima eventually yielded to their request. They approached Yamaguchi and motioned to hand their cellphones to him, the handhelds already in their camera setting. “Ah, well, I’ll be heading to the museum shop for a bit.”

“Yamaguchi, make sure to head back here soon, else we’ll leave without you,” Sugawara called out as the kids passed their gadgets to him instead.

 

* * *

 

 

When Yamaguchi walked into the shop, there was only one other customer inside. The freckled boy craned their neck and looked around, but couldn’t find the one they were searching for.

“Hey, Yama— whoa, what’s wrong with you?”

“Ah, Hinata, hi,” Yamaguchi croaked. “Have you seen Yachi-san?”

“She already returned to her office. Is there something you need?” Hinata asked as he observed Yamaguchi’s face. “Water, maybe…?”

“Do I really look that bad?” Yamaguchi said with a forced laugh. “Well, if Yachi-san isn’t here, I’ll be heading out then.”

“Sure,” Hinata replied, dragging out the syllable as he did. “See you around, Yamaguchi.”

The freckled boy smiled as he excused himself and made a beeline for the restroom. The unforgiving fluorescent light made him turn away from the clear reflection in the mirrors. He dragged his feet towards an empty stall and locked the door. A breath of air escaped his lips but no sound accompanied his sigh. Yamaguchi lowered his head and directed his gaze to pale and unsteady hands, and the longer he looked at them the tighter his chest seemed to feel. He shifted his weight from the door and onto his feet, stared at his leather shoes and closed his eyes once he’d memorized the image enough to recreate it in his mind. He took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling through his mouth. He repeated this again and again until his heartbeat leveled.

A creaking of a door brought Yamaguchi back to his senses, reminding him of where he was and what he had yet to face. A lump began to form in his throat.

The clicking of footsteps echoed in the restroom. Once it stopped, the silence that followed almost seemed unnatural. The freckled boy strained to listen in to what the other might be doing, if only to get a hint of when it would be acceptable to leave his stall. He heard a sigh. The other person grumbled something undecipherable, followed by the sound of something clinking against ceramic.

“Yamaguchi,” they said with a hoarse voice and cleared their throat.

The freckled boy froze. “Y-yes?” he hesitantly replied as he unlocked the bathroom door and peered outside.

The bespectacled boy by the sink stared at him with wide eyes, his face paling at the sight of Yamaguchi. “What the hell,” he coughed as he turned away in an effort to hide his face, but his reflection in the mirror gave him away.

Yamaguchi smiled weakly and managed to rasp, “Did I scare you, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima frowned. “Why are you still here?”

“Do you want me to leave that badly?” Yamaguchi replied with a hint of bitterness in his voice. He felt all the blood rush out of his body as his heart sprinted out into a marathon when he met the blond’s gaze. He noticed that the other had already taken off the vest that served as their work uniform. It was foreign to see him in a plain button down shirt. He had his backpack set next to him on the sink.

“Huh? It’s been some time since Sugawara-san and the rest of your group left.”

“Eh?” Yamaguchi exclaimed, a sudden rush of energy surging through him. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“Last I heard from them, they went looking for you at the museum shop, but I guess they didn’t know you were cooped up in here,” Tsukishima shrugged.

“How did you know I was here?”

“What? I didn’t.”

“But you said my name just now, didn’t you?” Yamaguchi asked, slightly backing towards the bathroom stall.

“Ah, well, that’s…” Tsukishima looked away and linked his hands before his body. “Why are you in here anyway? You look like you could use some fresh air.”

The freckled boy forced a smile as he replied, “Just a habit.” He rubbed at his exposed arm and turned to the floors.

The door to the restroom opened and a group of family men chuckled their way inside. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima traded looks before making their way outside.

The teacher’s phone started to ping with notifications. Yamaguchi gulped as he thumbed through his messages. Notes of ‘Where are you?’ and ‘We’re leaving.’ flooded his inbox.

“I heard from your students. You’re quite the favourite,” Tsukishima said quietly. “I’d always assumed you didn’t enjoy your work.”

“I never said that,” Yamaguchi defended.

“I know,” the blond murmured as the two of them walked towards the back exit of the Japan Gallery building. “But you never really looked like you did. You only ever seemed interested when you were talking about your hobbies and those insects.”

“Is that so…” Yamaguchi said as he dropped his pace.

They were walking past the courtyard and towards the Global Gallery. Tsukishima must have noticed this as he stopped in his tracks to turn to the freckled boy. He waited.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” Tsukishima breathed, almost chuckling as he exhaled the word.

“I was wrong,” Yamaguchi said as he lowered his head. “I’ve been dwelling over how you couldn’t understand how I felt about my dreams, but after seeing you today I realized that I didn’t even know that much about yours, either. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that a few weeks ago.”

The freckled boy heard a wheeze and thought of it as laughter. “Really?”

“Tsukki, I’m being serious,” Yamaguchi sighed exasperatedly as he faced Tsukishima. The blond’s expression only gave off a feeling of contradictions.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about it, wondering what I was supposed to say, but you just ended up beating me to it. What a waste of energy that’s been,” the blond said, wrinkling his brow and smiling as he turned his head to the side. “Anyway, you didn’t need to apologize. I don’t think you said anything wrong back then,” Tsukishima muttered.

“But weren’t you angry?”

“What made you think that?”

“Well, for one, you haven’t talked to me at all since then,” Yamaguchi blurted out, avoiding eye contact.

The blond pursed his lips and looked at the people that passed by. “School started for you so it might have been troublesome,” he replied as he intertwined his fingers before his body. “And even if I was, I wasn’t angry at you.”

Yamaguchi’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Are you heading back?”

“Ah, well, classes are already dismissed…” Yamaguchi stuttered. “The bus that brought us here was just going to take everyone to school so that the kids could easily take the train and what not.”

“Isn’t it a bit early for school to be out?” Tsukishima asked.

“Well, we’d been traveling on our field trip since this morning, so we figured the students would probably be too tired for more afternoon activities,” the teacher answered.

“Are you sure it’s not just the teachers being too exhausted?” Tsukishima teased.

Yamaguchi smiled in disbelief. “Don’t you have any work left to do?”

“No, my shift’s over,” Tsukishima replied.

“I see,” Yamaguchi nodded.

“Hmm,” Tsukishima hummed. “Hey, Yamaguchi —“

“Yes?” the freckled boy responded immediately, head jolting upwards at the mention of his name.

A hint of a smile tugged at the blond’s lips. “Come with me for a bit.”

 

* * *

 

Tsukishima brought Yamaguchi through the Global Gallery’s main entrance and into its Biodiversity floor, where they were welcomed by the large Tree of Life exhibit.

“Am I allowed in here?” Yamaguchi asked as they approached the large half-circle display case that presented the relationship between various forms of life.

“If anyone asks, you’re my guest,” Tsukishima said as he motioned towards the display. “Isn’t that similar to the one you kept in your room?”

“Yeah, it is,” Yamaguchi smiled. “The lighting here is amazing. You can really appreciate the details in their wings.”

The freckled boy turned his attention from the cicadas to the butterflies that were put up beside them. He admired their colours and patterns before motioning towards the other end of the exhibit.

A light tug on his arm caused him to halt.

“Don’t head out on your own. Say something.”

“Ah, okay. Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a flustered face. “I just got too engrossed, I guess.”

“Well, this is more your domain of expertise than it is mine,” Tsukishima shrugged. “What were you even looking at?”

“Oh, I wasn’t really paying attention to just one in particular,” Yamaguchi admitted. “But just now I was looking at the monarch butterfly.”

“Can you even find those in Japan?”

“No, actually. This must have been a special donation,” Yamaguchi said softly. He hesitantly looked over to Tsukishima and saw that the blond appeared to be waiting for him to speak. The dark-haired boy slightly turned towards the display case and pointed at the butterfly. “Their pattern has become quite iconic, but this vivid design is actually a red flag that makes predators aware of the poison that they contain," Yamaguchi explained with a calm expression. "I find it amazing that even in nature, the beautiful could conceal something so deadly,” he whispered as an afterthought.

“Really?” Tsukishima commented, but didn’t press on further.

The two of them continued to course through the exhibits in comfortable silence. At times, Tsukishima would ask Yamaguchi about a certain thing and the teacher would explain it in the best of his abilities, but it wasn’t long until Yamaguchi was providing commentary even without the blond’s urging.

They weaved through the upper floor in a slightly similar manner. The Science and Technology floor showcased things that neither of them were well-versed in, and they eventually began appraising their fellow visitors as important pieces of history instead.

“That shirt must be such a precious heirloom. It's probably too delicate to be ironed.”

"How could you tell?”

"You can actually see the wrinkles of time in the fabric."

"That's just awful, Tsukki."

As the time ticked by, they finally arrived at the roof top. The parasol garden stationed there had several tables with automatic umbrellas that opened once their sensors detected a patron approaching. The sunset view attracted a small horde of visitors to unwind as they sat themselves and chatted over refreshments and light snacks.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi made themselves comfortable on one of the tables, sitting before a younger couple stationed a table away from them.

“Wow, that girl looks pissed,” Tsukishima said in monotone as he passed a water bottle to Yamaguchi.

“They might hear you, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi warned.

“She’s probably upset because he couldn’t give any intelligent commentary throughout their whole excursion,” Tsukishima nodded to himself. “Maybe the dinosaur fossils were all he wanted to see, and even then all he could make out of it was ‘Wow, these look old as balls,’ or whatever it is teenagers say these days.”

“Quit it,” Yamaguchi said as he stifled a laugh and lightly elbowed Tsukishima’s side. “And why would you even assume that dinosaurs were all he was up for? Yeah, they’re interesting, but they’re not all that amazing,” Yamaguchi sneered.

“Oh? What would you propose then? Are your little insects are going to come and put up a fight against the greatest things that have ever walked this earth?” Tsukishima scoffed.

The freckled boy smiled as he said, “I could break one bee hive and direct all those ‘little insects’ to your eyeballs and maybe then they’d swell up large enough for you to see more than just the grandeur of your oversized lizards."

Tsukishima chuckled.

"If the young girl over there is facing the same problem with her companion, then I’d be more than happy to direct her to a local bee farm,” Yamaguchi added.

“Looks like loverboy is starting to suck up to her again, though. You might have a problem if she succumbs to his subpar tactics.”

“She doesn’t look amused, so I don’t think she’s buying it,” Yamaguchi nodded to himself. “Eh, did I say that too loud?” the teacher whispered when he noticed the other couple looking his way.

“Maybe. A young girl’s anger isn’t something to be taken lightly, Yamaguchi,” the blond whispered as he moved closer to the other boy. “What are you going to do if she redirects her anger to you?”

The freckled boy’s ear brightened from the blond’s breath. “Tsukki, stop that, it tickles!” Yamaguchi said as he brought a hand to Tsukishima’s shoulder and lightly shoved him away.

Tsukishima turned to the younger pair and back to Yamaguchi. “Well it doesn't look like they’re suspicious of us, anyway.”

“Seriously?” Yamaguchi said with a laugh, but he didn’t lean away. He turned to the red sky and brought a hand to shield his eyes. “It’s going to get dark. I should be heading back home soon.”

“Sure,” Tsukishima replied as he took a sip of his water.

The two cleaned after themselves before taking an elevator back to the Global Gallery’s entryway. They walked closely enough that their hands often brushed.

On their way out of the museum’s gate, Tsukishima let out a badly concealed laugh. Yamaguchi followed their line of sight and was confused as to what he was looking at. It was the back of someone’s head.

“What’s with that getup?” Tsukishima mocked. The other person turned around so abruptly, and the scowl on their face was unmistable. “Thank goodness we're required to wear a uniform,” the blond added, and Yamaguchi had to cover his mouth to conceal his own amusement.

“The work day’s over, I shouldn’t have to deal with you any more,” Kageyama said, a hint of his eyes showing through his sunglasses.

“Kageyama, I heard from Hinata that you’d been sick. It’s good to know you’re well now, then,” Yamaguchi said with a large grin.

“Right,” the boy said with an added squint.

“Kageyama, what took you so long?” Hinata hissed as he walked over to them from the gate. “You said you’d be back in five minutes. The sun was still well up in the sky when I started waiting for you.”

“I was taking a shit,” Kageyama droned. “It was just something I couldn’t rush.”

Hinata’s face contorted. “What. Does your ass know no shame?”

“Okay, we’re out of here. Come on, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima said as he walked away.

“Bye, guys,” the freckled boy said as he waved his hand and trailed behind the blond.

 

* * *

 

  
The warmth still lingered even after the sun hid behind the buildings, causing the shadows to play around the city. Flocks of people began pouring onto the streets, marking the onset of the Friday night scene.

“Are you going home too, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked as they walked towards the train station.

“I still have to go to practice, so no,” Tsukishima shrugged.

“You guys are training even more now? That’s intense.”

“Well, we’ll be playing our last game of the summer by tomorrow, so the captain wants to win it for sure,” the blond shrugged as he took off his backpack and massaged his shoulders with a free hand.

"I see," Yamaguchi smiled sympathetically. "Will you be taking the train, then?"

"No, I was planning on taking a bus, actually."

“Oh. Uh, well, tell the team I said hi, I guess.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tsukishima replied.

When they reached the entrance gate and Yamaguchi stopped walking, the blond almost immediately halted as well. The freckled boy shifted his weight from foot to foot and rubbed the back of his neck. He slightly raised his head as he said, “So, I’ll be seeing you around, then?”

Tsukishima’s mouth slightly opened, his mouth turning into a smile as he said, “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scientific tidbits were in fact researched upon and not nonsense pulled out of thin air. :v
> 
> Sorry for the late update as well, it's exam season... :( I also have a bunch of design jobs on hold, so my schedule has just been _really_ tough. I will try my best to eke out as much as I could during my short holiday break, because my schedule for 2015 would be even more hectic.. hhhhh
> 
> Either way, I reckon that we'd have one month's worth of updates left until this story finally ends. Thank you so much for all your support, I didn't expect this creative exercise to become such an amazing experience ;___;


	14. Affection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays!!! <3  
> Thanks so much to all your comments in the previous chapter, hearing what you guys think is always like a little gift in my inbox~ To everyone that's been keeping up to this fic up until now, I really appreciate it. Hello to all the new readers too! Thanks for picking up this story :)

Yamaguchi groaned as he rested his head on his laptop’s keyboard. Its warmth toasted half of his face.

“Aren’t you going to have your lunch yet?” Sugawara asked as he tidied his desk. “Everyone else has already left.”

“No, I’ll be staying behind for a bit,” the freckled boy grumbled.

“There’s no need to rush checking those papers, you know,” Sugawara said with a thoughtful look.

“I know,” Yamaguchi replied as he lifted his head. “See you on Monday, Sugawara-san.”

“See you,” the older boy said as he waved goodbye and left the department’s cubicle.

When Sugawara was out of sight, Yamaguchi flopped back down on his laptop, the sound of it overheating almost serving as a lullaby. “There’s no helping it. At this rate I wouldn’t make it on time…” he droned as he closed his eyes shut.

Once the burning in his cheek felt too uncomfortable, Yamaguchi resigned to reading his students’ reaction and reflection papers about the field trip they had the day before. They had filled them once they returned to the school, and since their teacher wasn’t around, they ended up leaving the sizable stack on his desk — a suitable wake up call for someone who had been daydreaming on the way to work.

An energetic beeping buzzed in his ear in an ascending tone, and the freckled boy reflexively reached over to his phone and paused to check its screen.

“Hey, are you free later?” the text message read. It was from Yachi. “I’ve been so stressed from work this week and I could definitely use a change of pace.”

Yamaguchi smiled as he typed out a reply. When he finished sending his response, he glanced at the time and sighed. “It’s this late already? No wonder I’m so hungry,” he said as he shook his head.

He packed his things and reorganized his work space, leaving behind the small pile of papers that he managed to review. He looked over his desk and checked his belongings one more time before finally leaving the teachers' faculty room. The school was mostly deserted save for those who were staying behind for club meetings. From the entry hallway, Yamaguchi overheard the high-pitched chatter of students gushing over the dates they had planned for the weekend. The group stopped mid-discussion to acknowledge the teacher, but once they were over with the formalities, they resumed their gossiping and giggling. Yamaguchi smiled to himself as he walked over to the entryway.

The afternoon heat accompanied the rays of light that had escaped from the white blanket enshrouding the sky. Yamaguchi sprinted and took cover by the school gate with the expectation that it could provide some relief. The breeze that followed him felt relaxing, and the protection of the shadows almost felt too comfortable that the teacher was reluctant to move an inch. Yamaguchi weighed his options in his mind before tentatively taking a step out of the shade.

He scurried towards the park, choosing not to take out his umbrella in favor of walking on the paths lined with trees. When he reached a fork in the road, he stopped to check his phone. He tapped his finger rhythmically on the screen, tightening his jaw as he finally unlocked the keypad and scrolled through his contacts list. Yamaguchi clenched his free hand and brought his fist to his mouth while he mentally debated the pros and cons of inviting Tsukishima to lunch.

With a sigh, the freckled boy checked the time and deduced that Tsukishima had most likely already eaten their meal by then. He reasoned to himself that it would be unwise to follow through with the idea. How else would he pass off the invitation as spontaneous when he was close enough to appear before the blond the very moment he’d have accepted?

Even so, he dialed Tsukishima’s number anyway.

Yamaguchi gulped as he walked towards the direction of the museum, his throat dry from heat and anxiety. The dial tone stopped a little too soon, leaving Yamaguchi with little time to compose himself.

“Hello?” an indifferent voice greeted.

“Hi— hell— good afternoon Tsukki,” Yamaguchi stumbled on his words.

“Y-Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima stuttered.

“Yes?” the freckled boy blurted without a second thought.

“Why are you calling?”

“Oh. Uh, right,” Yamaguchi said before clearing his throat. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Yeah, I had to eat my lunch early because of our game,” Tsukishima answered slowly.

“Ah, of course… When is your match going to start, Tsukki?”

“It’s happening in a few minutes, actually…”

“Eh? Really?” Yamaguchi spouted loud enough that a few passersby turned their heads to him.

A faint thud was heard from the other end of the line. Tsukishima was otherwise silent, but the faint background noise still buzzed in Yamaguchi’s ear. “I told you about that, didn't I?”

“I don’t recall you mentioning the time, at least,” Yamaguchi answered softly. He turned on his heel and began to walk towards the train station as he added, “That’s unfortunate.”

“Why so?”

“Well, I— hmm…” Yamaguchi bit the insides of his cheek as he wracked his brain for a suitable alibi. In the amount of time that was acceptable to stall a response in a phone call, the dark-haired boy could think of none. “I was hoping that I could watch you play today — I mean, you know, all of you, as in the team,” he laughed awkwardly, “but, uh, you get the idea…”

“Yeah, I —“ Tsukishima paused, the background noise seemingly growing louder. Yamaguchi strained to listen in to what he might say next. The freckled boy practically heard Tsukishima inhale before he said, “I was hoping that you could see the game, too.”

“Oh,” Yamaguchi whispered. “I wish I could say that I would catch up now, but I still haven’t eaten and —“

“You haven’t had lunch yet?” Tsukishima interrupted. “It’s almost two. What have you been doing?”

“I was grading papers…”

“Couldn’t that wait for later? You still have the whole weekend ahead of you,” the other groaned. “Go get something to eat already.”

“I will,” Yamaguchi said with a smile. He moved the handheld from one ear to another as he added, “Where’s the match happening anyway?”

“It’s pretty far, so don’t bother coming over anymore. You’d probably make it in time for the next match up’s game to begin,” Tsukishima droned.

The freckled boy deflated. “Okay, Tsukki.”

“Tsukishima, we’re going to start warming up soon, so get off the phone with your girlfriend already,” a familiar voice called out from the other end.

“I’m talking to Yamaguchi,” the freckled boy heard Tsukishima say.

“Exactly. Hurry up,” was the other person’s muffled out response.

“Was that Ennoshita-san?” Yamaguchi asked.

“You heard that?”

“Uh, well…” the freckled boy stammered. “Good luck then, Tsukki.”

“Right,” Tsukishima murmured. “I— I’ll call you when the game’s over, I guess. If you wouldn’t be busy or something.”

“Oh. Sure, that’d be good,” Yamaguchi answered. “I’ll look forward to that, Tsukki.”

“Really,” Tsukishima said in an incredulous tone. “Well. Bye, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi could see the entrance of the train station, and from the looks of it, the lunch hour rush had already run its course. His mind, however, phased into an ethereal state. He daydreamed all the way back to his flat.

 

* * *

 

  
“I’m home,” Yamaguchi said as he walked through the door of his apartment and wriggled out of his shoes. He set his bags on the table and massaged his shoulders, which were sore from lugging around a laptop and a hefty chunk of papers.

After preparing a light meal and reading through five different reports, he walked over to the comfort room and washed his face. He pocketed his essentials — his phone, wallet, and keys — and opened his front door. The pavement radiated with heat and the air felt stale against his skin. Yamaguchi closed the exit and retrieved an umbrella before re-emerging into the sunlight.

He followed Yachi’s directions to her neighborhood, which was eight train stations away from his own. The girl had requested to meet near her residence, and Yamaguchi was not one to decline. The tall buildings that loomed over shielded him from the sun, and for that the freckled boy was thankful.

Yamaguchi made his way through the crowds and into a small cafe by a condominium complex. He messaged Yachi about his arrival as he ordered two cold drinks.

“You’re looking happy today,” Yachi greeted as she took a seat before Yamaguchi. “It’s almost as if you didn’t just come out of a stressful work week. What’s your secret?”

“There’s no secret,” the boy gushed.

“Well, I still want to hear the details,” the girl smiled as she accepted the tall glass of iced tea that Yamaguchi offered her. “What happened? Did you buy that game you’ve been eyeing or something?”

“No, sadly,” Yamaguchi admitted.

“Then what?” Yachi asked as she surveyed the other’s sheepish expression. “Wait. Hold on, let me guess. Is this about Tsukishima?”

“Eh, how could you tell?”

“Well, you only ever have that dreamy expression when you’re talking about him.”

“I do not,” Yamaguchi defended.

“Whatever you say, Yamaguchi-kun,” Yachi said as she nodded to herself. “Did you guys make up already?”

“I guess,” Yamaguchi said as he eyed Yachi carefully. “It still feels a little awkward, though.”

“Well, either way that’s good news, isn’t it?” the girl smiled. “Now we can keep moving on with the birthday preparations with a clear conscience.”

“That’s true,” the boy replied as he returned the smile. “But I don’t think we should work on that today.”

“I’d have to agree. I’m spent,” Yachi groaned. “But what are you doing later, anyway? Isn’t work over for you, too?”

“I still have some papers to go through.”

“Papers? Already?” Yachi said as she made a face. “School just started. You’re an awful teacher.”

“No, it’s not like that. It’s about the field trip we went on yesterday.”

“Oh, I see,” the girl relaxed the crinkle in her brow and nodded thoughtfully.

“How did it go with Shimizu-san by the way?”

“Ah, she’s so sweet. She gave me this little plaque yesterday, it was unbelievably nice of her,” Yachi shared. “I couldn’t find you when she handed it to me, though. You weren’t replying to my messages either, but that’s nothing new. Where were you, anyway?”

“Sorry about that! I must’ve been with Tsukki by then.”

“What? Did you guys ditch your jobs and just suddenly go on a date?”

“No,” Yamaguchi said in disbelief. “I was in the washroom and didn’t receive anyone’s messages, so when I left the room I found out that everyone had already gone back without me. I bumped into Tsukki around that time. We just ended up roaming around the museum.”

“That doesn’t really sound any different.”

“When I say it out loud, yeah, it does sound pretty suspicious,” Yamaguchi admitted.

“Well, either way, it’s good to know you two are in better terms,” Yachi smiled. “Why don’t we celebrate a bit?”

“This is hardly something worth celebrating,” Yamaguchi laughed nervously.

“You talk like you weren’t sulking about it for weeks. Come on, let’s just buy a small cake or something. If it makes you feel any better, it can serve as a reward for living through the first two weeks of a new semester,” the girl offered. “Help me out here, Yamaguchi. I just need a reason to buy cake, I’ve been craving it all day!”

The freckled boy laughed as he gave in to his friend’s request.

They ended up ordering a small layer of cake for themselves. It was Yachi’s personal favourite. The modest chocolate cake was decorated with golden brown puffs that were compact yet spongey when consumed.

“How about you, Yachi-san? How has your week been?”

“It’s kind of a bad time to ask,” Yachi said as she brought a tissue to wipe some crumbs off her cheek. “This is just making me forget every horrible thing I’ve been through in the past year.”

“It’s that good, huh?” Yamaguchi chuckled.

“Ah, but there was that one project I did with this problematic client…”

 

* * *

 

 

The two friends chatted and laughed, delaying their goodbyes as much as they could, even when Yamaguchi grew concerned over the time. The only reason why they finally managed to part as early as they did was because Yachi had to buy pet food and go home to take care of her dog.

“Have fun grading those papers,” Yachi said as they reached the entrance of the train station.

“I will,” Yamaguchi replied. “Hopefully I’d get a lot done tonight.”

“Why the rush? Do you have somewhere to be tomorrow?”

“No, I just…”

“Did you make plans with Tsukishima?”

“What? Where did you even get that idea?”

“You had that glossed over look in your eyes again,” Yachi explained.

“Well, I’d wanted to watch this game he had today, but we miscommunicated so that didn’t end up happening anyway.”

“Then you should’ve told me! We could’ve gone to watch it together.”

“It’s fine, he said not to bother catching up anymore,” Yamaguchi replied.

“Eh, Tsukishima-kun sure is awful. You’d think he’d be a little more nice to you,” Yachi pouted.

“He said he’d call me once his game was over, so it’s really okay,” the freckled boy blurted.

Yachi grinned. “Really? Well then, I guess that’s not all that bad. Athletes do tend to get over self-conscious when their love interests are around, so Tsukishima-kun might’ve just wanted to avoid that.”

“Yachi-san, we’ve played on the same team, so I doubt that’s the case,” Yamaguchi said with a smile. “Thanks for your time today.”

“Thank you as well! I’ll see you Monday, then. Say hi to Tsukishima-kun for me!”

The freckled boy waved goodbye as he walked over to the turnstile and entered the station.

During the ride, he silently observed the other passengers, avoiding eye contact as he did. When the risk of getting caught was inevitable, he’d tinker with his cellphone only to feel jittery. By his third stop, a standard boarding announcement was broadcasted as the doors slid shut, and the noise distracted Yamaguchi from the vibrating in his pocket.

He scrambled for his phone once he’d finally noticed it, his heart leaping to his throat as he picked up the call. “Hello?” he managed to croak.

“Hey.”

“Did the game just end?”

“No, it’s been some time,” Tsukishima answered. “I’m actually on my way home now.”

“Oh, I see,” Yamaguchi replied. “How was it?”

“We lost.”

“Ah,” the freckled boy frowned. “Well, there’s always next time. Maybe you’d have better luck then.”

“Yeah, maybe next time, if you could join us.”

“What?” Yamaguchi said, baffled.

“Nothing,” Tsukishima dismissed. “Are you home?”

“No, I’m still on the train.”

“Same here, then.”

“Really? The game took that long?”

“Three sets. I’m beat.”

“I’d be concerned if you weren’t,” Yamaguchi replied. “Did you manage to get a seat?”

“No,” Tsukishima said in monotone. “The longer I stand here, the more my back aches, my legs hurt, my arms —“

“I get the picture,” the freckled boy laughed. “Go get a massage then. Isn’t there a spa near your place?”

“I don’t have the money for that.”

“It shouldn’t cost that much, right? Didn’t they have some sort of afternoon promotion price?”

“Are you offering to pay for it?” Tsukishima replied. Yamaguchi could picture him smirking.

“No,” Yamaguchi replied simply.

“Then why don’t you just do it?”

“Wha— you mean a massage? Me? Why should I?” Yamaguchi flustered.

“You suggested it.”

“Not in that way!” he complained. Tsukishima let out a groan. “What is it now?”

“No, it’s not you. There’s just this… — ugh. I’ll text it to you.”

“Uh—“

Click.

Yamaguchi stood confused as to what had just happened. When his phone buzzed and he opened the new message, it simply read, “Body odor.” The freckled boy grinned to himself as he replied, “What do you mean? Are you telling me that you stink?”

“No. The person next to me,” Tsukishima messaged back.

“Shouldn’t your tolerance for that be higher? You spent your day in a room full of sweaty athletes,” Yamaguchi responded. His phone rang a few moments later, and he chuckled as he picked it up. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Okay, first of all, you kind of have a point,” the blond said as he stifled his laughter. “But no. Experience isn’t helping me right now.”

“Can’t you move away or something, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi replied.

“It wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

“Ah. You’re just going to tough it out, then,” the freckled boy nodded.

“How long is it going to take until you reach Shinagawa?” Tsukishima asked.

“My train’s almost there, actually. I’m just about to get off,” Yamaguchi said as he waited for the train to halt. “Have you arrived already?” His ear felt warm against his phone as he walked towards the exit gate and tapped out of the turnstile.

“Huh? Oh, well—“

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi practically shouted, and in the distance he caught sight of the blond bringing his phone away from his ear, their famliar set of headphones slung around their neck. Tsukishima continued to walk. “Tsukki, wait up!” the freckled boy half-shouted as he ran towards the other boy.

At this, Tsukishima turned towards Yamaguchi’s general direction. When the blond finally caught sight of him, Yamaguchi held on to the other boy’s arm as they caught their beath. “Why were you running?” Tsukishima asked.

“I don’t know,” Yamaguchi panted. He bent over and rested his free hand on his knee. “It just… my legs, they… happened—“

“Okay,” Tsukishima nodded. “I understand.”

The freckled boy tugged on the blond’s arm as they replied, “Quit it, I guess I just got excited when I saw you.” Yamaguchi inhaled deeply before finally moving his hand from his knees, but he still kept his other hand latched on to Tsukishima. When they turned to the blond, he noticed that they were frowning. Yamaguchi motioned to release his grip on him as they apologized, “Ah, I’m sorry. Was I holding too tight? I—”

“No,” Tsukishima murmured. He caught on to the hand that Yamaguchi had just lifted from their forearm. “I… I’m…” the blond struggled to speak. He cleared his throat and glanced away. “Nevermind.”

Yamaguchi stared at him. His eyebrows furrowed as he laughed.

Tsukishima quickly turned his head towards the dark-haired boy. “What is it?”

The freckled boy observed the other’s expression as he lowered and let go of their hands. With a small smile, he said, “It’s nothing important.”

“So?” Tsukishima said as he raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, well,” Yamaguchi stammered, avoiding Tsukishima’s eyes.

“Whatever,” Tsukishima shrugged as he took off his headphones and placed them in his bag. “At least you’re smiling.”

“Eh?”

“Are you heading to your place now?”

The freckled boy tilted his head to the side as he asked, “Why are you asking?”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“No! I mean, no. No, you don’t need to,” Yamaguchi spluttered. “Why would you even do that? We’re closer to your apartment right now.”

“I’m not in a hurry,” Tsukishima shrugged. “But if you'd rather not, then I’ll be fine with it.”

“Well, it’s not that,” the freckled boy began. “Weren’t you tired from your game? You should go home and rest.”

“Oh.”

“What do you mean, ‘Oh’?”

“I forgot about that,” Tsukishima replied plainly.

“Huh? Anyway, let’s just get going then, I still have some stuff I need to do back home,” Yamaguchi said as he started walking.

“You didn’t bring anything with you today?” Tsukishima asked as he matched their pace.

“Ah, I just went out to talk with Yachi-san for a bit. I left my work bag at my place.”

“Oh, you still have work to do over the weekend, right?”

“Yeah. It never ends, it just keeps piling up,” Yamaguchi sighed. “But, you know, it’s fine and all. Nothing I can’t handle,” the freckled boy added in a rush.

Tsukishima pursed his lips. Yamaguchi had lead them to a narrow alleyway that served as a shortcut to their apartment. The blond cleared his throat. “Let me know next time.”

“About what? If work becomes a burden?”

“Uh, there’s that,” Tsukishima said, seemingly in a blur. “But let me know if I say something out of hand again.”

“You mean — oh….” Yamaguchi said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, sure…”

The freckled boy moved through the streets by instinct, quickening his stride and likening it to that of his heartbeat. He’d been so intent on walking off his embarrassment that he’d forgotten about Tsukishima trailing behind him. The blond lagged behind by a few steps, and Yamaguchi reflexively reached out and pulled him along by the wrist.

“Ah, sorry Tsukki,” Yamaguchi exclaimed. “Do you mind?”

“What’s the hurry? We’re almost there, aren’t we?”

“You’re right,” the freckled boy smiled nervously, but neither of them moved away from one another.

 

* * *

 

 

“Would you like to have something to eat first, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked once they reached his front door.

“No, it’s fine. I ate before getting on the train,” Tsukishima replied.

“I see,” Yamaguchi nodded as he brought both of his hands to his sides. “That’s too bad, it’s been a while since we’ve had a meal together.”

“That would be my fault,” Tsukishima agreed.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” the freckled boy said as he shook his head.

“I know,” the blond muttered. “I’d just gotten used to it, too.”

“Gotten used to what?”

Tsukishima furrowed his brows and stared at Yamaguchi, almost attempting to convey his intentions telepathically. The blond’s frown deepened as the other boy only waited for him to respond. He pushed his eyeglasses up his nose and mumbled, “Being with you.”

Yamaguchi’s jaw dropped and his mouth gradually turned into a smile.

“I’d missed you, too, Tsukki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to lie — this chapter was quite rushed TT___TT Please inform me of any grammar/spelling/formatting mistakes!
> 
> The previous week has just been full of Christmas parties and guest entertaining that I barely had time to sit down on my laptop... I don't want to half-ass the next chapter since it's ~pretty important~ so it might get a bit delayed! I sure hope not, though!


	15. Season

It was as though a cold spell was being cast over the city, with a chill breeze taking over the sweltering intensity that had once glared the pavement dry. Brown leather shoes beat on the concrete with a steady tempo, the dust particles softly drifting from the motion. Shaky hands, their palms cold and sweaty all at once, found refuge in the pockets of a dark hoodie. The young lad wasn’t exactly smartly dressed and yet as he stood unannounced outside a plain building, he felt that his intelligence might have failed him for real. The summer started to fade into autumn, but the warmth in his chest had only begun to flourish.

Small groups began to pour out of the establishment. He unconsciously surveyed the horde for a familiar face. Although uneasy over the idea of an audience witnessing the embarrassment he was willingly putting himself through, the blank expression he’d consciously affixed on his face concealed all hints of an internal struggle.

The temptation of placing a phone call and consequently making his presence known grew increasingly hard to ignore. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and covered his face with a hand, leaning onto the building’s entrance gate.

“Eh, isn’t it your day off today, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi’s voice was soft and yet it managed to jolt the blond out of his reverie. “Ah, sorry Tsukki, did I surprise you?”

“Don’t mind it,” Tsukishima grumbled as he shifted his weight back to his feet.

“Is there something you need from the school?”

“Not exactly,” Tsukishima said in monotone, his voice choppy and his mouth dry. “What took you so long to come out, anyway?”

“Ah, three of my students weren’t able to hand in their reports last week, so I had to wait until the last minute for them to submit it,” Yamaguchi explained. “But, uh, have you been waiting out here for me?”

Tsukishima felt a burning in his face. “N— N… Well, I bumped into Sugawara-san a while ago and he mentioned that you were on your way off from work—“

“Did you want to ride the train together?” Yamaguchi asked.

The blond swallowed what he could manage despite his parched throat. “There’s that, but— I just thought we could have dinner at my place later, since it’s been a while and —“

“Really, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi exclaimed with wide eyes.

“…Yeah, if it wouldn’t be a problem for you,” Tsukishima coughed. “The meat in the freezer will be going bad soon, so I could use some help finishing it.”

“Sure,” Yamaguchi smiled. “I can cook for you, if you want.”

“No, that’s fine.”

“Huh, so, does that mean…? I’ll look forward to your cooking then, Tsukki!” the freckled boy grinned. “But Tsukki, Uguisudani station is right around the corner… If you bumped into Sugawara-san, then wouldn’t you have been around this area already? Eh, Tsukki— wait up!”

Tsukishima had already turned away from Yamaguchi and walked off towards the other end of the street, face tinted pink from self-consciousness. Yamaguchi’s request didn’t cause the blond to storm off any slower, and the freckled boy instinctively reached out to the other in order to get their attention. Yamaguchi had meant to grab a hold of their sweatshirt’s sleeve, but he miscalculated the swing of his arm and ended up grasping the blond’s fingers.

“Wait— whoa, you’re cold, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi commented. “Should I hold your hand for a bit?”

“If that would make you shut up,” the blond spat.

Throngs of students and office workers pooled onto the streets. In the distance, the station entrance was bustling with people moving in and out of its gates. Yamaguchi let go of Tsukishima’s fingers once they reached the train station’s turnstile. The blond tapped his card in first. While Yamaguchi had stuck close behind Tsukishima, he’d let an elderly couple get into the station first before entering himself. Tsukishima waited for the other boy, and when Yamaguchi approached him, the blond brought their hands together.

Yamaguchi tensed. “Eh, is this okay?”

“I don’t know. Are you fine with it?”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind,” Yamaguchi laughed nervously. “But what about you?”

“I guess I’m still a little cold,” Tsukishima shrugged. They walked over to the railway platform and waited amongst the other passengers for the next train. “S—so, how was work?”

“It was the usual… ah, but I did have lunch with Yachi-san today,” the freckled boy said slowly, carefully choosing his words. “The afternoon sessions ended being a bit more exhausting than normal since I’d already used up my energy chatting and shop—window shopping with her… Anyway, how was your day like, Tsukki? Wh-what were you doing around here today?” Yamaguchi asked as they tucked a lock of hair behind their ear.

“Oh, I went to university to pay for my tuition,” the blond answered.

The freckled boy tilted his head to the side. Before him, the train screeched to a halt. "You'll be diligently working on your master’s degree soon huh, Tsukki,” he said as they walked inside a coach.  
  
“Yeah,” Tsukishima nodded. They squeezed inside the train and settled themselves before one another. “I just need to get my books next week and my carefree days as a tour guide would come to an end.”

“Ah, If I hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, I would’ve never pictured you doing that job, to be honest.”

“Why not?” Tsukishima inquired with a squint of his eyes.

“Well,” Yamaguchi coughed. “You have to interact with a lot of people at once.”

“So? That’s not difficult to imagine, is it?”

“No, not exactly,” the freckled boy continued, avoiding the other’s eyes. “It’s just… Well, you’re not supposed to get on anyone’s nerves, you know?”

Tsukishima stared at the other boy in disbelief, his shocked expression eventually turning into that of amusement. “For real,” he laughed. “It is unexpectedly challenging to explain certain things to a select group of guests.”

“Like what?” Yamaguchi asked as he reflexively leaned in towards the blond.

“Once, I got into an unnecessary debate with one patron regarding the existence of dinosaurs.”

“What’s there to discuss?”

“Exactly,” the blond said with a shrug. “Apparently they just thought of the fossils as a scientist’s version of a ‘jigsaw puzzle plaything’ — their words, not mine.”

“No way,” Yamaguchi said as he wrinkled his brow.

“Imagine. Paleontology — an entire branch of science dedicated to fabricating gigantic three-dimensional toys fashioned out of jurassic animal bones. I’d never been so speechless in my life.”

Yamaguchi chuckled, "No kidding." As the train made another stop, the freckled boy lost his footing and tightened his hold on Tsukishima’s hand to regain his balance. “Sorry, Tsukki!”

“Buckle up your knees a bit,” Tsukishima suggested.

“Yeah, well… My knees are, uh, kind of weak right now…”

“Why? Did you sprain it while jogging or something?”

“Huh? Uh, no,” Yamaguchi stuttered. “Well, anyway, the fossils that get displayed in museums are casts and not the actual bones, right? That might have been why they got that impression of it,” Yamaguchi deduced.

“You have a point,” Tsukishima nodded. “But come on. There’s a limit to how clueless you could be about the world.”

"I guess," Yamaguchi said slowly. He ran his thumb over Tsukishima's knuckles, softly tracing each nub. "Hopefully your knowledge on the matter helped them out a little bit."

The blond cleared his throat and rasped, "Naturally."

 

* * *

 

They held hands throughout the train ride, their grips tightening whenever Yamaguchi lost his balance. Yamaguchi apologized every chance he could get, but the blond didn’t bother saying anything more. The prolonged closeness made Tsukishima’s hand feel clammy and uncomfortable. When they were two stops away from their station, he released his hold on Yamaguchi and discreetly wiped his hand inside his hoodie’s pockets.

“Ah, I’m sorry Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whispered, clumsily wiping his palm on his pants.

“It’s fine,” Tsukishima replied as he took out his hand from his jacket.

Yamaguchi stared at Tsukishima, assessing the blond’s expression. The freckled boy looked away, his mouth set in a straight line as he linked hands with the other, slowly entwining their fingers together. He hesitantly peered over to the blond to find that they were already staring back with widened eyes. Tsukishima’s expression softened as they both exchanged small smiles and continued the train ride in silence.

The first chills of autumn greeted them when they finally exited at Shinagawa and joined the crowds in the street, but Yamaguchi’s hand was enough to keep Tsukishima warm.

 

* * *

 

 

Tsukishima brought his free hand into his pocket. As he searched for his keys, Yamaguchi looked at him curiously, but neither spoke a word to the other. A light click accompanied the blond’s turn of the knob.

Tsukishima hesitantly looked at Yamaguchi and opened his mouth. He promptly pursed his lips and let go of the freckled boy’s hand in order to properly take off his shoes. Yamaguchi surveyed the place as he removed his own footwear, and he found an empty spot in the shoe rack with ease. The silence of the room rang in their ears. As Tsukishima navigated towards the kitchen, Yamaguchi peeked at the living room before following the blond.

“The place looks more barren than what I remember,” the freckled boy commented.

“Ah, yeah. When Sugawara-san moved out, I realized that I didn’t own a lot of things here,” Tsukishima replied as he opened his refrigerator and retrieved some ingredients.

“Eh? When did he leave?” Yamaguchi asked as they helped prepare a chopping board and knife.

“Just a few weeks ago, actually. Apparently Daichi-san was here to help him pack his things,” the blond said, opening a counter drawer and taking out some measuring cups. “You can sit by the table,” he added.

“Uh, well, I’m not used to just sitting around when someone’s cooking,” Yamaguchi confessed. “Would it be fine if I just help out a little bit? I’ll try not to get in the way, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima shrugged. “Whatever.” He brought out a large skillet and stirred some ground beef. Once the meat crumbled and turned brown, he drained the beef and put it aside.

“It must’ve been tedious here by yourself,” Yamaguchi said as he set aside the onions he’d chopped. He readied the garlic he was assigned to mince.

“Not really,” the other boy replied, sautéing the herbs in a heated pan.

“I—is that so,” the freckled boy whispered. He poured cornstarch and beef broth into a bowl and began whisking the mix. When it began to smooth, he cleared his throat and said, “Do you know where Sugawara-san transferred to?”

“I didn’t bother to ask, but with the way things were like, he probably moved in with Daichi-san, or at least closer to his place,” Tsukishima answered. He poured the broth mixture and soy sauce into the pan as Yamaguchi prepared some wheat vermicelli.

“Hmm, probably,” Yamaguchi nodded, taking a seat at the table and waiting for the other to finish cooking. “You sure like to measure the ingredients, huh, Tsukki?” the freckled boy commented as Tsukishima meticulously scooped a tiny teaspoonful of red pepper powder.

“It’s a necessity for me,” the blond admitted, glancing at the measuring cup he'd filled with onion and garlic that lay innocently on the counter top. “I can’t gauge how much of the ingredients are needed just by instinct.”

“I see. It can be tricky to estimate sometimes, too,” Yamaguchi agreed. He looked on as the other boy stirred in the ground beef, eventually adding the cooked pasta and tossing the ingredients in the pan. Tsukishima split the meal between two plates, garnishing each serving with a sprinkle of sliced spring onion. “It smells good, Tsukki.”

“Let’s hope it tastes good too.”

“That’s not very reassuring to hear from you, chef.”

"It's been a while since I cooked for someone other than myself," Tsukishima said as he set the plates on the table. He passed a soup spoon and some chopsticks to his guest before taking a seat across from them. "It looks edible enough.” 

"You probably got used to having Sugawara-san cook for you, huh?" Yamaguchi smiled. He used his chopsticks to pick up a clump of noodles and arranged them in the soup spoon before bringing it to his mouth. “Hmm, it could’ve used some more seasoning, and maybe ginger and hoisin sauce, too.”

“If it tastes bad, then I wouldn’t mind you doing the cooking next time.”

“I didn’t say it was bad, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi corrected. “Well, either way I wouldn’t mind preparing something for you, though. You only got to try my favourite soup, but if you’re fond of spicy food too then I could definitely whip up something you’d like.”

“Sounds promising,” Tsukishima nodded. He mechanically gulped down a few spoonfuls, pausing only to pour water into two glasses and chugging down the drink from one of them. When his hiccups subsided, he stirred his noodles as he stammered, “Oh, uh, Yamaguchi—”

“What is it, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked, his mouth still half-full with food. A spoonful of noodles already hovered before him.

“Well, th—thanks for visiting despite the short notice,” Tsukishima spluttered.

“It’s no problem. Thanks for inviting me over, too,” Yamaguchi replied.

“Sure,” Tsukishima said, prolonging the syllable as he did. He brought his chopsticks to his plate and gathered some noodles. “You know, now that you’re here, I realize that it’s been pretty silent without you.”

“Eh?”

“So, welcome back, I guess.”

Yamaguchi stared at the blond with raised eyebrows. In spite of his surprise, he managed to chew his food a little bit more before swallowing. “Yeah…”

When they'd finished eating and cleaning up, Tsukishima made certain to walk his guest to the door. After Yamaguchi's usual niceties and words of thanks, the freckled boy offhandedly reminded the blond of his earlier offer.

"W-well, if it gets too lonesome for you, you can always come over to my place for dinner next time," he stuttered. "Just tell me beforehand, of course."

Tsukishima smiled and nodded before saying, "Thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!!! ^-^ I'm pretty sure Yamaguchi was my first thought of 2015. Perfect
> 
> This ended up being pretty short since I decided to upload this string of events as a separate chapter... Bruh all those hands were so tiring to draw, I don't even know why I thought it would be a good idea to draw them TTuTT Either way, this is really the beginning of the end now! I hope I could update twice within the next week so that I could stay on schedule and finish this before February ;v; You might have already figured out how the ending would be like! If not, then maybe the next chapter would give you more clues B)
> 
> Please let me know of any oversights in the grammar/formatting again. I didn't get to proofread this so much since I had to babysit so many nieces and nephews throughout the past days ;v; Thanks so much for reading!!


	16. Brazen Visitor

The grumbling in his stomach was getting difficult to ignore. The cloth bag that he’d slung on his shoulder had practically morphed into a sack of bricks. He stared at the heap of books he’d stowed away in a basket and grimaced. The path to the cashier served as the runway to his walk of shame. He reached into his backpack and rummaged for his money, his panic increasing with every moment that passed. The storeowner behind the register smiled as he finally retrieved a flat leather case from the pocket of his jogging pants. By the end of the ordeal, his wallet was emaciated and the guilt weighed heavy in his mind.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I spent all that money on myself,” the boy assured himself as he exited the bookstore, a new paper bag in tow.

He carried one bag in each hand, their straps digging into his palms and causing them to redden with time. The pain set in gradually, and it felt warm and pricklish in his skin. The aromatic dishes showcased along the sidewalk were tempting, and while he tried to ignore their allure, his self-control was rendered ineffective as he whiffed a hint of sweet and sour fish in the air. His mouth watered. The ache in his hands slipped his mind and the stall’s mile-long queue did not discourage him. He was already on a spending spree, and he saw no crime in indulging himself with a good lunch.

He set his bags on the floor, balancing them in the space between his feet. Relieved from their burdens, his numb hands were tinged pink. He lightly shook his fists as he took note of the number of people before him. Ten customers. He inhaled deeply.

Nine. As the line grew shorter, he patiently stepped forward and gently nudged forward the bags he’d placed on the floor.

Seven. A middle-aged man stood behind him. He brought with him two young children, both of which were waving towards a woman seated on a table further into the food court.

Five. The two children began to bicker over whose turn it was to use the handheld gaming console they presumably shared, their grunts quickly escalating to shouts. While the man that accompanied them somehow managed to discipline them before things got out of hand, the racket that they’d caused only served to tick off the people around them, especially the lad that stood directly before the two youngsters.

Three. Seeing the food display in such clarity was enough to reignite his hunger. At this point he’d practically mentally rehearsed his order enough to say it without stuttering.

Two. So close and yet so far. The boy excitedly waited for his turn. His phone vibrated violently in his pocket, and instead of ruining his mood, he picked it up without a second thought once he checked the caller’s tag.

“Hello, Tsukki?” the boy greeted loudly in an attempt to be heard over the chatter of his surroundings.

“Where are you?”

“Eh, uh,” the boy paused to gulp down his nervousness. “Why are you asking?”

“I’m on my way to your place.”

“What, as in right now?”

“Yeah. Why?” Tsukishima said slowly. “Didn’t you tell me to inform you beforehand instead of making surprise visits?”

“I know… but,” Yamaguchi whimpered, eyeing the food stall’s display once more before he picked up his bags and left the queue. “I’m not home right now, Tsukki. There’s a key under the ‘Welcome’ rug, so once you get there, you can see yourself in and wait for me in the apartment,” the freckled boy struggled to say as he balanced his spoils on his free arm, brisk walking towards the direction of his apartment.

“It’s fine. I’ll just wait for you here outside.”

“Wait. You’re already there?” Yamaguchi yelped. “Sorry, Tsukki! I’ll be there soon.”

“You don’t need to hurry, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima replied before cutting the call short, leaving the freckled boy’s mouth hanging with an unsaid goodbye.

 

* * *

 

The homely two-storey building glowed in the high noon. The black outdoor staircase seemingly gleamed in the sunlight, and its chipped paint only contrasted the blond hair of the boy leaned against it. Their scowl faded almost immediately after catching sight of Yamaguchi, and instead a look of confusion spread across their face.

“What happened to you?” Tsukishima asked as he approached the freckled boy.

“I — I was — I’ll talk later,” Yamaguchi wheezed. He lifted a sore arm and attempted to wipe the sweat off his forehead, his bangs feeling as though they were already glued onto his face.

Tsukishima wrinkled his nose as he looked at the other boy. “I have a handkerchief.”

“Thanks, but it’s okay. I can fix myself up once we enter the apartment,” Yamaguchi said with a forced smile. The two of them walked over to Yamaguchi’s apartment and stood before the door. “Sorry you had to see me in such an unpresentable state.”

“No, I don’t think that. You just look like you feel uncomfortable,” Tsukishima commented. The blond turned his gaze towards Yamaguchi’s hands. “Why don’t I carry those for you?”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m okay.”

“Do you plan on opening the door with your mouth, then?”

“Ah, no,” Yamaguchi spluttered. He hesitantly gave the two bags to Tsukishima, alleviating the freckled boy’s palms that were both pale and marred with red lines. “Sorry, Tsukki.”

“It’s fi— ugh, what’s in here? These are fucking heavy,”

“Ah! N—nothing, that’s nothing,” Yamaguchi rushed as he struggled to open the zipper of his backpack. “I just bought some books.”

“What kind?”

“Just some journal back issues from The Entomological Society of Japan amongst other things, nothing special,” Yamaguchi said with a forced laugh as he fit the key into the door, opened the creaky door and stepped inside the room.

“Isn’t that journal subscription-based?” Tsukishima asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s right,” Yamaguchi nodded. With a huff, they set their backpack by the dining table. “But, well, there’s this bookstore I stumbled upon recently and today I happened to meet the owner while he was reading the latest issue of Entomological Science,” the freckled boy began as the blond set down Yamaguchi’s other bags in a similar fashion. “Luckily he was willing to sell the older issues to me, so of course I didn’t pass up the chance.”

“Oh. That’s good. At least your bookcase wouldn’t just be filled with all those comic books anymore,” the blond commented.

“There’s nothing wrong with comics, Tsukki,” the freckled boy defended. “And besides, I keep my other books in my room. You probably just haven’t seen the rest of them yet.”

“I guess. They sound pretty interesting though,” Tsukishima said. Yamaguchi entered his bedroom to change his shirt and wipe his face, doing so quickly that when he walked back into the kitchen, he was still readjusting the fit of his top. Tsukishima motioned towards the bags as he continued, “When you’re done, could I borrow one?”

“Uh, sure,” Yamaguchi hesitantly replied, a grin slowly forming on his mouth.

Tsukishima smiled in response, with the grumbling of his stomach joining in. The sound surprised the two of them.

“What do you feel like having, Tsukki? I’m starved and I can’t really think of what I want to eat right now,” Yamaguchi said as he opened his refrigerator and turned to Tsukishima for suggestions.

“Well, anything will do,” Tsukishima flustered.

“Hmm, if you say so,” the freckled boy nodded as he ducked his head into the refrigerator. He opened the crisper drawer and picked out an onion. After he weighed the bulb in one hand and held two eggs in the other, he stood from his crouch and turned, bumping into Tsukishima in the process.

The blond glanced at Yamaguchi’s palms before saying, “I’ll help.”

Yamaguchi meant to protest, but the seriousness in Tsukishima’s face caused him to rethink it. “Well, would you cook some rice for us, then?”

Tsukishima frowned. “Just how little faith do you have in my cooking skills?”

“What are you going on about?” the freckled boy laughed, lightly elbowing the blond’s side as he set his ingredients on the counter top. “We’re both hungry so I’m not going to be cooking anything complicated. There’s not much to help with in the first place.”

“Fine,” the blond sighed. “Where do you keep your rice?”

“Over there,” Yamaguchi said as he pointed towards a counter cabinet. He retrieved some seaweed sheets, tomato juice, sake, and salmon from the refrigerator and set them next to his other ingredients.

Tsukishima rinsed the rice over the sink, blocking Yamaguchi’s way to where he stored his pots and pans.

“Tsukki, may I pass for a bit?” Yamaguchi asked as he eyed the cabinet.

“Sure,” the blond replied as he turned off the faucet and shuffled to the side, his hands still dripping wet.

“Ah, actually just stay there, please. Don’t get the floors wet,” Yamaguchi said as he tiptoed to grab at the cabinet’s handle.

“I know that. Where are your hand towels anyway?” Tsukishima grumbled as he opened the cabinet door for the other boy.

The freckled boy clicked his tongue. “Ah, I washed them recently so I hadn’t put one up yet. Sorry, Tsukki.”

“No need to keep apologizing,” Tsukishima whispered as Yamaguchi’s shoulder nudged on his own as the freckled boy reached over to get a pot.

Once Yamaguchi had sliced the salmon, he placed them inside the pot and left it to simmer. Its pink flesh seemed to glow under the kitchen lights. He reached over and took out a bowl, and from another cabinet he pulled out some soy sauce. Yamaguchi briefly looked over his shoulder. Tsukishima had positioned himself by the dining table, his eyes lingering at the lower half of Yamaguchi’s body before quickly glancing up to their eyes. “So, it got lonely in your apartment huh, Tsukki?” the freckled boy said with a modest smile.

“…Well, my refrigerator’s a total wasteland and I wasn’t feeling up to having instant noodles for lunch, too.”

“Don’t you have money to buy take out or order for delivery instead?”

Tsukishima did not meet his gaze. “That’s not…” he trailed off, cheeks flushed pink as the fish they were to partake of for lunch.

“Not what?”

“Uh, that’s not,” Tsukishima stammered, playing with the straps of the cloth bag that rested on the seat next to him. “Wait… isn’t this a syllabus?”

“Ah, aha, well… Tsukki, it’s not what you think,” Yamaguchi squeaked as he turned back to the counter and began to aggressively whisk the ingredients he’d mixed in the bowl.

“What am I supposed to think, then?”

“It’s, well, you see,” Yamaguchi stuttered. “I went out jogging today and decided to go on a different route, and it was by total coincidence that I stumbled upon this college fair. I didn’t plan it, okay!”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, I got curious, so I just went for a look,” the freckled boy explained as he transferred the salmon into a bowl. “But the next thing I knew, I was suddenly being handed all sorts of booklets and pamphlets,” Yamaguchi whimpered.

“Haha.”

“What?” Yamaguchi frowned as he quickly turned his head towards Tsukishima.

“It’s nothing.”

“Tsukki, you have that suspicious looking smile on your face again.”

“Ah, well, if you want to seriously start looking at schools again next time, I can accompany you. That way, people won’t abuse your kindness and be more careful about the stuff they offer you,” the blond smirked.

“Are you making fun of me?” Yamaguchi asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, I’m happy for you.”

“Huh? W-why? It’s not like I said I’m going back to school yet or anything, I was j-just looking around,” Yamaguchi said as he shook his head.

“Precisely,” Tsukishima nodded to himself.

“That’s not something to write home about,” Yamaguchi said as he dismissively waved his hand and turned back towards the stove, pouring the egg mixture from the bowl and stirring it.

“But isn’t it the first step to your dream?”

Yamaguchi stopped stirring, allowing the mixture to set in the pan. He kept his hand hovered above the counter, spatula still in hand.

“…Did I say something bad?”

Yamaguchi gulped, his face feeling hot as he leaned over the stove to check on his cooking. “No, it’s fine,” he murmured.

“Okay,” Tsukishima replied in a soft voice. “That’s good. I wasn’t exactly having a great morning, but this—“ Tsukishima motioned towards Yamaguchi’s bags, “— is all pretty good news.”

“Eh, did something bad happen to you, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi said as he divided the rice and fish into two bowls, topping each bowl with seaweed and scrambled eggs.

“It’s nothing serious,” the blond dismissed as he regarded the meal that was set before him. “Looks good.”

“Don’t change the topic,” Yamaguchi said as he lightly punched him with the fist he’d meant to hand his chopsticks with. The two clasped their hands together and started on their meal.

“Let’s see… Someone just ended up buying the last copy of a book I’d been meaning to buy for some time now,” Tsukishima admitted with a shrug.

“So you did end up leaving your house before coming here,” Yamaguchi smiled mischievously. “Why didn’t you eat out then?”

“Now you’re changing the topic,” the blond grinned back.

“Fine,” Yamaguchi said with a sigh. “What kind of book was it? Was it about dinosaurs again?”

Tsukishima nodded. “Dinosaurs again.”

“And just half an hour ago you were commenting on the lack of diversity in my bookshelf. You’re unbelievable,” Yamaguchi shook his head. “What was so special about the book?”

“It was just a guide on fossils, really. It’s quite old and I’d been meaning to buy the book at full price from an online vendor, but then I found a used copy at a secondhand bookstore some time ago. I didn’t have enough money on me at the time, so I’d been saving up to buy it today,” Tsukishima said as he clumped some rice together with his chopsticks.

“Huh. Did it have a blue and white cover with a grayscale picture of this triangular shaped bone?”

Tsukishima lowered his chopsticks back to his bowl and swallowed. “Yes, why?”

Yamaguchi’s mouth was still half-full, his right cheek somewhat rounded with food. Even so, he leaned over towards the seat between his and Tsukishima’s, reaching over towards the paper bag. He attempted to dig into it with one hand but visibly struggled. Defeated, he drank some water before standing from his seat, bringing both hands into the bag and uncovering a hefty hardbound book. “Is this it?”

Tsukishima’s eyes widened. With the food he still had in his mouth, he looked like a surprised chipmunk.

Seeing as the other boy was not in the position to talk, Yamaguchi cleared his throat. “When I saw this at the bookstore a few weeks ago, I thought you’d like it, so, uh, I got it for you.”

“You bought it for me?” the blond said as he raised both of his eyebrows.

“Well, yeah,” Yamaguchi nervously replied as he handed the book to Tsukishima. “I meant to give it at your house since it’s pretty inconvenient to carry around, but —“

“Wow,” Tsukishima laughed. “Amazing. You’re on a roll today, Yamaguchi.”

“On a roll?” Yamaguchi said with a confused look on his face as he watched Tsukishima bring the book down on the table and stand up on his feet. Without the book’s weight in his hands, the blond appeared to be at a loss as to what to do with his arms. Yamaguchi lifted his forearms palms-up and shrugged as he said, “What’s wrong —”

Tsukishima awkwardly curled his arms around the dark-haired boy’s waist, resting his chin on their shoulder. Yamaguchi’s arms tensed mid-air.

“…Tsukki?”

Outbalanced, Yamaguchi took a step back, and the shift in position caused Tsukishima to lean forward a bit. “Wait,” the blond whispered.

“Huh? B-but I’m still really sticky and sweaty from being out all morn—“

“Would you shut up for two seconds?”

Soreness forgotten, Yamaguchi lightly hovered his hands over Tsukishima as he replied, “Sorry, Tsukki.” He tentatively slid his hands across Tsukishima’s back and rested them on their shoulder blades. The freckled boy felt the blond tense in the embrace, but they gradually eased into it.

“Sorry, Tsukki. Are you sure you’re all right?” Yamaguchi whispered, his heartbeat echoing in his ears.

“It’s a little warm here, but I’m fine.”

Yamaguchi chuckled. “It is for me too, you know.”

Tsukishima’s back slowly expanded under Yamaguchi’s grip, as though he were breathing in deeply as he nuzzled his forehead against Yamaguchi’s collarbone. He gradually moved away from the freckled boy, leaving his arms to hang awkwardly by his sides. Tsukishima’s eyes glanced at the lower half of Yamaguchi’s face before finally meeting the other’s eyes as he said, “Thanks, Yamaguchi.”

“It’s nothing, really,” the freckled boy smiled, looking away for only a moment before meeting the other’s gaze.

“No, I’m really happy. It might as well be my birthday already,” the blond said as he turned to the ground, intent on studying the floor beneath them. “Speaking of, are you free next Saturday?”

“Eh? Uh, I still have classes in the morning… But other than that, then yeah, I guess. Why?” Yamaguchi managed to croak.

“Why don’t we go out for dinner? It won’t be formal or anything, just a small celebration and all…”

“Ah, so it’s for your birthday?” Yamaguchi said with feigned surprise. “Should I extend the invite to Sugawara-san? Maybe Yachi-san as well?”

Tsukishima shook his head lightly, peering ever so slightly behind his eyeglasses just enough so to see the other’s face. “No. I meant just the two of us.”

“Oh... Oh? You mean like a date?” Yamaguchi blurted out, almost immediately regretting it as warmth began to flush his cheeks and tighten his chest.

Yamaguchi observed how the other boy licked his lip before biting it, opening and closing his mouth as he rubbed at the nape of his neck. With equally pink cheeks, Tsukishima whispered his reply.

 

* * *

 

“Yachi-san, I’m so sorry. We’ve got a problem,” Yamaguchi said as he sat before the blonde. The small cafe that they frequented for their meetings was now bustling with the weekend crowd, but it was peaceful enough to talk at a comfortable volume. “I think we’d have to reschedule our surprise party.”

“What? Oh no… And after all the trouble we went to sorting everything out,” Yachi pouted.

“I know. I was thinking we could move it this Tuesday instead,” Yamaguchi suggested as he clasped his hands on the table. “That way it’d be on a public holiday too, so everyone would be more likely to be free to attend.”

“Ah, the twenty-third is the autumn equinox, isn’t it? That would work too. It’s on a day Tsukishima-kun wouldn’t expect anything to happen, but it would’ve been nice to have his surprise party right on his birthday,” Yachi sighed. “Why wouldn’t we be able to have it on Saturday, anyway?”

“Well, you see… he kind of asked me to dinner for that day…”

Yachi’s eyes widened. “D… di… din… date?” she half-shouted, her palms planted flat on the table.

“Yes!” Yamaguchi cried.

“Ahh!” Yachi squealed as she clasped Yamaguchi’s hands.

“Augh!” Yamaguchi whimpered, dragging out his cry as he shook his and Yachi’s hands. “What do I do? What do I get him? I got caught up in the moment and handed him the book I meant to give as his birthday present. I am stressing out. I still haven’t finalized the science test I’ll be conducting this week.”

“Yam— Yama… you two are finally here, I’m so happy,” Yachi sniveled. “I can’t believe it, Tsukishima-kun really said that? Like, explicitly? How exactly did he ask you out? Huu, I can’t believe… I feel like a proud mom…”

“Yachi-san, your grip’s getting a little too firm,” the freckled boy said as he eased his hands out of the girl’s tight hold. “Tsukki just mentioned wanting to celebrate with me this Saturday... When I asked him if it was supposed to be a date, he said that if I wouldn’t mind calling it that, then he’d want it to be one,” Yamaguchi recounted. “Ah, just thinking about it is giving me a chest ache again.”

“I am going to claw my eyes out,” Yachi exclaimed as she animatedly pumped her fists.

“My soul practically left my body at that moment. My memory of it is still kind of hazy, so I’m sure that wasn’t what he said right down to the letter.”

“But you said yes, right?”

“Psh, of course,” Yamaguchi said with a bashful grin. “He said it wasn’t going to be fancy, but what do I even wear to this sort of thing?”

“He’s seen you in pyjamas, right? Then it wouldn’t really make a difference what you wear.”

“The fact that he’s seen in me in pyjamas is all the more reason to look nice for once.”

“Ah. That’s right. It needs some impact too, right?” Yachi nodded as she placed her dainty hand atop Yamaguchi’s. “Good luck.”

“Won’t you help me out?” Yamaguchi pleaded.

“Of course! Ah, but considering the rescheduling of the surprise party, I don’t know… We’ve got to stick to our priorities, either way.”

“You’re right,” the freckled boy sighed.

“By the way, I got the people from work to sign in to that book already —“

“Oh, did you bring it with you right now?” Yamaguchi said excitedly.

“Yeah, I did!” the girl smiled as she reached into her bag and retrieved a small saddle-stitched booklet.

Yamaguchi chuckled. “This cover is amazing. Mind if I bring this with me for our volleyball teammates to write in as well?”

“Thanks! And go ahead, that’s basically why I brought it with me today in the first place.”

“Ah, we’re on such a tight schedule now, huh. Do you think we can get a refund on our bookings?” Yamaguchi sighed.

“Maybe so. It might get difficult to rebook considering the holidays, though,” Yachi pouted. “We’ll manage to think of something in time… You’d still be able to make the food, right? I really hope I could try your cooking soon, Tsukishima-kun spoke so highly about it.”

“He did?” Yamaguchi coughed, flustered. “Well, I don’t know. I might be able to make a cake, at least. Are you planning on making some food for the party as well, Yachi-san?”

The girl laughed, but the emotion failed to reach her eyes. “No, no… I wish I could but I’m so sorry, I’m unbelievably useless at the kitchen.”

“It’s okay, I can share some recipes for you if that’d make it easier.”

“Ah, no, that wouldn’t be a good idea… I don’t understand all that cooking jargon you chefs use. One time my mom asked me to julienne some carrots and I literally had to play a tutorial video as I was handling the vegetable. At this point of my life the only gourmet I could manage is gourmet microwavable popcorn,” the girl sighed. “I told you, right? Just leave everything else to me — the decorating, the booking, the researching. You can focus on deciding the menu and how to keep Tsukishima busy before the party.”

“That seems like a rather unfair work load allocation for you, Yachi-san.”

“Even so, we’re pretty much all set except for the venue,” Yachi smiled. “You should worry more about your date itinerary with Tsukishima-kun at this point.”

“I guess you’re right,” Yamaguchi sighed.

“It’ll all be fine,” she grinned. “I’m sure of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all right all right all right!! It's been 16 chapters, and we're finally here... *Romantic* moments and overtures are such a challenge for me to write. I can never be too sure if I made them too vague or not vague enough. I'd love to hear what you think! Either way, I'm starting to get more comfortable writing fluffy stuff, so I'm willing to challenge myself to do ~more intense scenarios~ in the future *sweats* I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of excited :v :v :v :v
> 
> I recently accepted an illustration project (as if my current workload wasn't stressful enough lmao) and the deadline is REALLY close, so I won't be working on this fic for a while — as in I won't be /typing/ it out as much as I usually do, which means the next update is most certainly going to be late by a few days. I don't know. I might just pull a miracle and post it on time because of nerd magic, who can say for certain?? Wish me luck. ;v;
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! <3


	17. Blur

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the super late update!! It's pretty long though (~6k words!!! the longest yet!) and I thought that maybe I should split it into two chapters instead, but I just decided to post it as it is anyway as a sort of compensation for the delay. I had a lot of difficulty deciding how this chapter would go too, plus I got sick with a fever last week (I'm still unwell actually) among other things and just ughhh it has just not been a good time for me…
> 
> Reading your comments really helped me work through the struggle, though! It's always surreal to hear what you guys think about the story, it's almost like they weren't meant for something I've made lmao you're all so nice… ;__; <3 Thank you so much!!!

He hadn’t expected to feel so uncomfortable first thing in the morning— rather, first thing in the noon, seeing as he’d overslept for the first time in ages.

A hefty hardbound book was the only thing between him and the rough computer table. Tsukishima lifted his head from the table and lightly massaged his jaw, the pads of his fingers brushing at rough patches. His mouth was acidic, tongue saturated with the aftertaste of last night’s meal. He blinked away the last of his drowsiness, and with it the innocence that sleep allowed slowly faded, allowing reality to creep back into his mind. Flashes of the days before began to mesh with his thoughts, and the dull ache in his temples brought him to his feet to pour himself a glass of water. He drank it down quickly.

As he rubbed at his eye, he walked over to his bathroom and brushed his teeth, angling his face in the mirror. Once he’d rinsed his mouth he swiped a thumb across his chin, hovering his free hand over a can of shaving cream. He allowed his hand to hang midair for a moment before shrugging and moving into the kitchen to rummage for food.

The refrigerator was mostly empty. Tsukishima reached over to the plastic container that Yamaguchi had passed to him a few days before then. Once they’d somehow untangled themselves from their embrace and their conversation awkwardly watered down into good byes, Yamaguchi quickly peered around his pantry and brought out a box. “I made these last night so they’re fairly new,” they said as they handed it to Tsukishima. Accepting the food made Tsukishima feel like a charity case, but he wasn’t one to decline. He hadn’t felt like visiting the supermarket either, making Yamaguchi’s gesture seem like an unexpected blessing.

He popped the container into the microwave and waited, massaging the bridge of his nose as he did. The blond walked back to his bedroom and picked up the eyeglasses he’d left on his desk, and he could hear the appliance’s timer going off in the distance. As he slipped on his black frames, he began to hear a different yet familiar kind of beeping. He turned his head from side to side, analyzing the sound’s origin with every tilt of his ear. Once he finally located the source, his cellphone had been ringing long enough that the call had almost automatically disconnected.

“Yes,” Tsukishima said as he brought the gadget to his ear.

“Ah, Kei! Did you really have to take so long to pick up your phone?”

“I had some trouble looking for it,” he mumbled. “Why are you calling again, nii-chan?”

“Mom just wanted to confirm if you’d be able to come over this Saturday,” the older Tsukishima said. “You were so undecided about it when I asked you last weekend, so she wants to know for sure.”

“Oh. I think I’ll be able to come over for lunch.”

“What, aren’t you going to stay over? It’s been so long since we’ve had the chance to get together.”

“I’ll think about it,” the bespectacled blond replied as he stared at the wall.

“Did you make other plans?”

“I guess.”

“With friends?”

“Just one.”

“Oh, so you have a date,” his older brother said with a chuckle. “Just bring them along to the house, then.”

“No way,” he responded immediately.

“Eh, so it really is a date?” the voice on the other end of the line sounded a bit more surprised.

“Is this all you called me for, nii-chan?” he said as he cleared his throat.

His older brother laughed. “Okay, we can talk all we want when you get here. See you then, Kei.”

“Ah, wait.”

“What is it?”

He placed a hand on the table as he said, “About what you said last time — were you serious about that?”

The silence that echoed through the receiver was heavy yet empty at the same time, and the weight it carried was enough to breed anxiety.

“Were you serious about quitting?” he repeated.

“Well, there’s no need for us to talk about this through the phone,” his older brother responded. “But yes, I was serious.”

“I see,” he replied simply.

“Want me to tell mom that you said ‘hi’?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll tell her that you’re ditching us for your date too.”

“What? Don’t —“

The call had already been cut short and he could only sigh as he set his phone back down on the table. Almost immediately, it began to ring again.

“What is it now?” the blond groaned as his stomach started to protest.

“Ah, did I catch you at a bad time, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi spluttered, their voice registering slightly lower through the network’s filters. “I’m sorry! It took some time to connect to your phone too, so I was wondering if that might have been the case.”

“No, it’s fine. I was just talking to my older brother.”

“You have a brother?” Yamaguchi replied, his voice heavy with curiosity.

“Anyway, what’s wrong? It’s rare for you to call.”

“Oh,” Yamaguchi paused. He dragged his words as he grumbled, “Uh, well, if it wouldn’t be a bother —“

“Yes?”

“If you’ll be fine with it, I mean, maybe — maybe you’d want to hang out later?”

Tsukishima’s face felt warm, but his voice remained monotonous. “It’s a weekday, isn’t it? Don’t you have work?”

“Huh? But it’s a holiday today, Tsukki,” the other boy spoke slowly. “Didn’t you know?”

“Is it? Oh, yeah,” he said as he turned to the small calendar pinned to the wall. Tsukishima furrowed his brows and stared at the pictures of the varying phases of the moon, hoping to find a suitable answer there. “Why?”

“Ah, uh, well,” Yamaguchi stammered. “No reason, really. I was just hoping you’d be willing to kill time—” he trailed off.

“…Together?”

“Yeah. Well, if you don’t have anything planned for the afternoon, anyway.”

Tsukishima glanced at the book that lay on the desk. The blanched bones printed on the paper stared back at his empty expression. He grabbed a nearby receipt and lodged it between the open pages. “I guess I wouldn’t mind.”

“Really, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi replied. “Should I meet you at your place?”

“What? Why?”

“Why not?”

“We could just meet at the train station,” he managed to say.

“Okay then. Call me when you get there! See you, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima put his phone down silently. His phone beeped again, this time with a message from Yamaguchi regarding the time for their rendezvous. When the blond brought his food out of the microwave, it had already cooled quite a bit. The house was still as he ate, the only sound being that of his utensils hitting plastic. The warmth of the sun seeped through his kitchen window, its bright glow bringing colour to his cheeks. After eating his meal, he promptly took a shower and shaved. As he shrugged into a fresh shirt and jeans, the soft chuckle that escaped him almost filled the silent room.

 

* * *

 

He kept his headphones positioned on his head as he waited by the train station. His eyes stayed fixed on the ground, a blur of a hundred shoes and sandals teasing at the corners of his eyes. It might have been a puff of wind, a change of beat, or a flash of light in the distance — either way, Tsukishima sensed a prickle in his skin, causing him to raise his head and scan through the crowd, almost immediately staring into the dark pools of Yamaguchi’s eyes.

The freckled boy’s mouth moved in total disconnect with the vocals of the song that blared into Tsukishima’s ears, but somehow the blond knew that Yamaguchi had just breathed out his name.

“Tsukki, why didn’t you call me?” Yamaguchi said the moment Tsukishima removed his headphones. “I hope you didn’t wait long.”

“I didn’t feel like it.” Tsukishima licked at his chapped lips before he added, “Is there somewhere you wanted to go in particular?”

Yamaguchi’s eyes studied the blond’s face. “Not really.”

“What are we doing today, then?” the blond said, his face crumpling into an incredulous smile.

“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll think of something once we get on a train.”

Yamaguchi smiled at him earnestly, and Tsukishima looked dubious but followed the freckled boy onto the train platform anyway.

 

* * *

 

 

“I’ll stop by the convenience store for a bit,” Yamaguchi said, pointing towards the shop as he made his way out of the turnstile. “Do you need anything, Tsukki?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Yamaguchi was silent as he stared at Tsukishima, eyes momentarily shifting towards the other boy’s mouth. “Okay.”

The blond stood by the sidewalk, barely paying attention to the mass of people that stirred around him. The crowds mixed and moved and made noise, but their numbers didn’t dwindle down no matter how much they dispersed. When Yamaguchi returned, he had two bottles of water in his hands. He handed one to the blond.

“Ah. Thanks,” Tsukishima replied with his eyebrows slightly raised.

“No problem, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a smile.

They walked further away from the west exit of the Shibuya station, joining the crowd as they weaved through the area.

“Why does it seem like there are more people than usual today?” Tsukishima questioned monotonously.

“It’s a holiday after all, so the kids are out to play,” Yamaguchi answered.

“And we just had to join them, huh?”

“Hey, you didn’t have to join me if you didn’t want to.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Tsukishima said.

In the distance they could see a gathering of teenagers by the Hachiko statue, its dark finish almost sparkling with a mid-afternoon glow.

“When they used to tell Hachiko’s story in school, I would always tear up,” Yamaguchi commented. “If I had to sit through that lecture again, I probably wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face until now.”

“Really,” Tsukishima chuckled. “Whenever I see Hachiko, I end up thinking about my older brother.”

“Does it remind you of your brother because he’s loyal as well?” Yamaguchi asked as he turned towards the blond.

“I wonder,” Tsukishima shrugged. “Hachiko died on the same day my brother was born. He used to point that out a lot when we were younger.”

The energy of the crowd brought them to walk closer than usual, clumsy arms and awkward knuckles bumping into one another as they approached the pedestrian scramble. The lights flashed red and the cars in the distance began to speed past them.

“Oh, is that so,” Yamaguchi nodded to himself. “Ah, but now that you mention it, I think I share the same birthday with him.”

“What? With my brother?”

“No, with Hachiko,” Yamaguchi corrected. “My parents loved to bring that up whenever they talked about how I should be a loyal son.”

Tsukishima turned to the freckled boy and took note of how their expression seemed to cloud over. When the crowd began to move and the cross junction pooled with people, the momentum drove Tsukishima forward. He extended a hand between them. “There’s a bookstore that I frequent here. Do you mind if we check it out?”

“No, sure,” Yamaguchi replied as he brought out his right hand. He allowed Tsukishima to pull him along.

 

* * *

 

The tell-tale orange and blue exteriors were like obnoxious harbour lights that welcomed them home.

“Do you like to visit bookstores often?” Yamaguchi asked as they entered the building.

“I guess.”

“Would it be okay if I looked around for a bit?”

“Sure. I was about to ask the same thing,” Tsukishima said as he let go of Yamaguchi’s hand and made a beeline for the area he habitually checked.

He briefly scanned the book spines for anything that came off as interesting in a single glance, eventually switching to examining the titles at a more leisurely pace. A book on marine biology eventually caught his attention. Despite being a used copy, the volume was in exceptional condition. Satisfied with his choice, he tucked the book under his arm and began searching for his companion, eventually noticing their stray tuft of hair peeping above one of the low book shelves.

Tsukishima walked over to Yamaguchi’s direction, but when he saw that the freckled boy was browsing the books deep in thought, the blond decided to take a look around the aisle as well. The illustrated covers were quite interesting, with some curious titles and image choices here and there. By the far corner, there was a shopping basket on the floor with several softbounds cluttered inside, isolated enough that it appeared to be a discarded pile.

“This is awful,” Tsukishima scoffed, reaching into the basket and weighing a book in his hands. “Who would even read these things?”

Yamaguchi turned to look at him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but when he caught sight of Tsukishima his expression practically lost all emotion as he replied in all seriousness, “Well, me. Please put that back in my basket.”

“Oh,” the blond said as he leaned down and returned the book.

“If you think that cover looks awful, look at this one though, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said as he passed over the book that he’d been appraising in his hand.

Tsukishima approached him warily, but he looked baffled the moment he laid his eyes on the title. “If you know it's horrible, then why would you even consider buying it?” He pointed to the cover as he commented, “If I ever met someone with hands twice the size of my head, I would be terrified for my life, not looking into their eyes with sweet bliss.”

Yamaguchi chuckled. The cover had two suit-clad men in an anatomy-defying embrace, heads tilted in uncomfortable angles. As he moved closer to pass the book, Yamaguchi clung onto Tsukishima’s left hand with his right. He hid their entwined fingers behind the closeness of their bodies so as not to be noticed by the other shoppers. “The storyline has its charm. If you can look past the quirkiness in the visuals, then the plot’s at least somewhat decent if you’re just planning to kill time.”

“Kill time? The dude could probably kill me twice over with those fists.” the blond stifled his laughter. He brought his attention to the other character in the cover. “They’d be caressing my face and I’d be worried over how they could crush my skull at any given moment.”

Yamaguchi gripped Tsukishima’s hand tightly, unintentionally tugging the other boy along with him as he leaned back to laugh. The blond jolted at the sudden movement, causing the book he’d tucked in his arms to tumble onto the floor. “Ah, sorry Tsukki,” the freckled boy said in between chuckles. When he noticed the other boy’s grimace, he asked, “Did that hurt?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe you should start worrying over how I might crush your hands now, too,” Yamaguchi said with a mischievous grin.

“That’s not much of a risk, is it?”

Yamaguchi tilted his head as he said, “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“It’s nothing.”

 

* * *

 

After making their purchases and exiting the building, the two returned to the streets to find that the sky already began to darken. Yamaguchi had led them towards a food court, smile sheepish as they commented over how hungry they’d gotten.

Tsukishima observed Yamaguchi’s left hand as they pointed at the stall’s window. “We’ll have two orders please,” the freckled boy said, motioning towards the octopus balls. He followed their fingers as they tucked a clump of tissues into their pocket and finally reach out to retrieve their order.

“What happened to your fingers?” Tsukishima finally mentioned as they walked away from the queue with paper plates in tow. The shop was packed and they ended up sharing a table with another pair. Their seats were next to each other, but when Tsukishima dragged his seat away from the table and sat, he inadvertently angled his chair in such a way that they tilted more so towards Yamaguchi's.

“I accidentally cut myself while cooking,” Yamaguchi answered before taking a seat. He gathered his hair away from his face and greedily took a bite from his snack once he’d settled himself.

“I thought experienced chefs didn't make that kind of mistake anymore.”

“Hey, everyone makes slip ups,” the freckled boy said.

“That plaster really attracts attention to it, though.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Yamaguchi laughed nervously, eyeing the Hello Kitty pattern that wove around his finger. “I didn’t intend on using one, but Yachi-san insisted.”

“Yachi?” Tsukishima said curiously.

“Ah. Aha, ha, well,” Yamaguchi stuttered. “She wanted me to teach her how to cook, so I was over at her place to do just that.”

“Hmm,” the blond hummed, his mouth too preoccupied with chewing on the crisp and gooey takoyaki to say anything in response.

Once the awkwardness subsided, Yamaguchi returned to his meal and they ate in silence. From the corner of his eyes, Tsukishima took note of Yamaguchi’s side profile. The freckled boy was looking intently at his own plate, a small smile stretched upon his face as he chewed slowly. The strands of hair that he’d tucked behind his ear began to ease their way back to his face, like a dark curtain that slowly draped between them.

Yamaguchi turned abruptly to Tsukishima, a soft puff of air escaping his lips as his exposed ear slightly reddened. The blond reflexively jerked his hand away from Yamaguchi, leaving it to hang mid-air.

“Oh, uh, Tsukki, you got some mayonnaise on your face,” Yamaguchi pointed out. Tsukishima leaned closer towards the freckled boy, wordlessly angling his chin towards them. “Eh? Uh, wait,” the shorter boy mumbled as he reached into his pocket for a tissue and swiped at the other’s face.

Tsukishima stared at the used tissue as Yamaguchi crumpled it onto the table. “If there wasn’t much then you didn’t have to use tissue.”

“Too wasteful? I’ll take note then,” the freckled boy said with a smile. Despite the commotion of the shop, the sound of his ringtone still managed to pierce through the noise, and the freckled boy scrambled to take out his phone from his pocket. After a quick glance at the caller ID, his face paled as he said, “I’ll be right back, Tsukki.”

“Okay,” Tsukishima answered as the freckled boy stood from their seat and walked away from earshot. The blond glanced at Yamaguchi’s figure occasionally, the freckled boy’s stance seemingly stiffening after every passing moment.

When Yamaguchi returned to their seat he immediately drank some water, mistakingly drinking off Tsukishima’s glass by accident. The blond didn't comment on this, but instead said, “What happened?”

“Nothing much,” the freckled boy said defensively. “There’s a place I want to go afterwards, would you be okay with going with me?”

“Sure,” Tsukishima shrugged. “As long as it isn’t anywhere suspicious.”

 

* * *

 

 

* * *

 

 

“A karaoke bar?” Tsukishima said plainly as the two of them stood before the brightly lit storefront. A spirited group of friends toppled out of the door, inebriated despite the early hour. “You want to go in here?”

Yamaguchi’s smile was almost a little too wide to be considered natural. “Would you mind?”

“Uh, not really,” the blond said slowly. “Are we going in, then?”

The freckled boy silently walked over to the store entrance and almost sumbled inside, staring at his phone as he robotically approached the reception area. “Good evening,” he whispered, speaking as though they had meant it to be a question. They flashed their phone’s screen to the receptionist and added, “I’m here for this reservation.”

“You made a reservation here?” Tsukishima asked, a confused expression on his face.

Yamaguchi didn’t reply. The receptionist nodded and directed the two towards a function room in the far corner of the establishment.

Yamaguchi visibly gulped, but he ended up coughing instead, as though he had suffered from a dry throat. “Why don’t you go in first, Tsukki?”

“Okay,” the blond shrugged, placing a hand on the door’s handle. From the outside the room appeared to be dark, but when Tsukishima slid the door open the lights quickly flickered and came on. In an instant, his senses were overwhelmed with people and bright flashes and an ear-piercing greeting — “Surprise!”

“What?” Tsukishima said once he’d overcome his initial shock.

The room was fairly large, with a flatscreen television positioned on a gray wall that looked hazy and violet in the lighting. Strewn across one side of the room was a banner greeting him a happy birthday. In the middle of the room was a low dark marbled table littered with several dishes. Platters of pizza, fried chicken and prawn, french fries, squid rings, and potato wedges provided an interesting if not overpowering aroma. Surrounding the table were cushioned seats, where an almost random assembly of acquaintances had gathered.

“Advance happy birthday, Tsukishima!” Yachi grinned as she ushered the taller boy into a seat.

As the blond confusedly responded to the other guests’ greetings, Yachi directed Yamaguchi to sit next to Tsukishima before making herself comfortable next to the freckled boy.

“How have you been, Tsukishima?” Sugawara asked as he shook the blond’s hand from across the table.

“Uh, I’ve been doing okay.”

“Can’t you at least try to look a little bit pleased to see us? We came all the way here for you, you know,” Kuroo said as he nudged the blond with his elbow, his force causing Tsukishima to lean against Yamaguchi.

Next to Kuroo, Ennoshita smiled and turned to his side, where two of their other volleyball teammates were seated. Ennoshita brought his hand before them, palms faced up as he said, “Like I said, those two would be coming here together.”

“I told you guys it’d be useless to bet against Ennoshita,” Kuroo chuckled.

“Haven’t Kageyama and Hinata arrived yet?” Yamaguchi whispered to the girl seated next to him.

“They’re in the restroom, I think.”

“Did they really have to go together?” Tsukishima asked just as the door opened. “Ah, speak of the devil.”

“Ugh, look! We ended up being late, dumb ass,” Kageyama hissed.

“Whatever. Happy birthday, Tsukishima!” Hinata grinned as he slid into a seat across from Yamaguchi. “At least the food’s here now, too.”

“Why don’t we eat, then?” Yamaguchi suggested.

“Wait a second, we’ve got to cut the cake first,” Yachi said as she stood from her seat and walked to a corner to retrieve a box. After hesitantly accepting Kuroo’s help to position it before Tsukishima, she lifted the box’s cover to reveal a fairly large cake, its chiffon layers sandwiching a cream cheese filling packed with strawberry slices.

After careful consideration, Yachi lodged two candles into its white frosting. Once the lights were dimmed and the candles lit, Tsukishima awkwardly looked on as the room echoed with a birthday song. When the singing neared its end, Yachi stood up and brought a camera out and aimed its lens towards Tsukishima’s unamused scowl.

“No,” he said as he slowly shook his head.

“Just close your eyes and make a wish,” Kuroo grinned as he wrapped an arm around Tsukishima.

“Can you not record it at least?” Tsukishima practically pleaded as he shoved Kuroo off of his person.

“Oh come on, don’t be such a spoil sport,” Sugawara commented.

“Yeah, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said as he intertwined his fingers with Tsukishima’s, discreetly linking them underneath the table. When the blond looked at him, seemingly expecting an explanation, Yamaguchi just smiled back and said, “Make a wish.”

He turned his gaze to the candles, their flames dancing to an unheard rhythm. Tsukishima’s frown only deepened, his mind blank. What could he possibly wish for when all he really wanted at that moment was already within his grasp? Nevertheless he closed his eyes and extinguished the candles, ending the ritual that was prerequisite to partaking of the celebration’s meal.

“Eh, it’s pretty silent if we eat just like this,” Kuroo said as he brought a slice of pizza onto his plate. He motioned to the karaoke machine as he said, “Who’d like to start? No need to be shy.”

“Why don’t you do the honors?” Tsukishima suggested.

“Ah, as the birthday boy, it should be your privilege, don’t you think?” Kuroo responded.

“Um, actually,” Yachi hesitantly spoke up as she raised her hand. “Kageyama-kun already requested to have the first song.”

“Whoa, really?” Hinata almost spat out his food.

“If I wait until we’ve had a few drinks, I’m pretty sure you’d end up hogging the machine for yourself,” Kageyama grumbled.

“Thank you for gracing us with your performance, then,” Tsukishima sneered.

"Oh, before I forget," Yachi said as she reached into her purse to retrieve a small booklet. "This is for you, Tsukishima-kun, from all of us!"

Kageyama dutifully scanned through the song booklet just as Tsukishima appraised the gift. "Just how old do you think I am?" he laughed as he studied the glossy cover, illustrated with a jurassic birthday celebration. "What is this anyway?" he asked as he opened it to the first page.

"Ah, you should probably read that when you're alone," Yamaguchi said as he forcefully closed the booklet.

While Yachi had initially introduced everyone prior to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s arrival, it was only during the time they spent chatting over food and singing along to karaoke staples that the group finally warmed up to one another. The food supply dwindled, and while everyone had eaten a serving or two of the cake, a considerable amount was still on display at the center of the table. In the same breath that they requested to dish out their platters, they sent in their order for beer via the intercom.

“When school starts for us we wouldn’t be able to have much time to fool around anymore, so let’s loosen up a bit more,” Ennoshita suggested as he passed the drinks around. “How about a game?”

“A few drinks won’t hurt,” Sugawara shrugged as he accepted a glass.

“Ah, I have to work tomorrow morning, so I can’t go all out,” Yamaguchi said with a polite smile. “Sorry.”

“That’s reassuring to know,” Kuroo said as he raised a hand skyward. “We can trust that you’d be looking after Tsukishima tonight, then?”

“Why do I get a special mention?” the blond said with a frown.

“Either way, let’s try not to get carried away, okay?” Ennoshita commented. “Why don’t we play Yamanote Sen?”

“What’s so fun about naming the different stations of the Yamanote line?” Tsukishima droned.

“You ride that train every day, you're probably an expert at this. Why are you complaining?” Kuroo teased.

“Are you really that bad at noticing your surroundings?” Kageyama scoffed.

The bespectacled blond squinted his eyes at his companions and let out a low groan. He turned to Yamaguchi and whispered, “Will you take me home tonight?”

“Eh, what?” the freckled boy said with wide eyes.

“I probably wouldn’t be able to get home by myself,” Tsukishima confessed.

“Oh. Uh, okay I guess,” Yamaguchi hesitated.

“I’d probably be needing your help too, Yamaguchi-kun,” Yachi smiled sheepishly beside him.

“Eh? You’ll be drinking tonight, Yachi-san?” the freckled boy asked.

“Yeah, why not?”

“Nothing,” he laughed nervously.

 

* * *

 

As the night went on, their positions began to shift in the room. In the middle of their game a cake fight had ensued — a scuffle that no one would admit to starting — and they sported their icing-stained shirts and saccharine-hardened hair with pink-cheeked faces and drunken smiles. It was only 10 PM but Ennoshita was already passed out, his head flat on the table. As Kuroo managed to pressure Hinata into handing over the microphone, Sugawara decided to take his leave from the party, and those who felt competent enough engaged in another game of their own. Yachi and Hinata started slurring in words of a different tongue and laughed at just about anything, but mysteriously managed to comply to game mechanics whenever it was their turn. However, no matter how loud they were, Tsukishima’s voice stood out from the chatter.

“Go, go, go!” Tsukishima grinned from ear to ear, eyes fixated on the mug of beer that had been poured for the game’s punishment. “Drink up, drink up, drink up!”

When Kageyama’s face contorted and turned green after chugging down the liquid, Tsukishima’s boisterous laughter could almost be considered high pitched.

“Ah, Kageyama-kun, you look just about ready to throw up,” Yamaguchi said as he hurried to the other boy. “Do you want to go to the toilet?”

Kageyama allowed Yamaguchi to support him to his feet. The door to their function room was slid open and shut, the two dark-haired boys disappearing behind its frame. The game continued on without much fanfare. How much time had passed was relative and irrelevant. For Tsukishima, it had been too long since the door last moved an inch. It was difficult to focus his tired eyes, and he shifted them around the room to find something to concentrate on.

When the door finally opened, Kageyama was the first to re-enter the space. He was welcomed by Hinata’s, “Good?” and they nodded slowly before taking a seat.

Yamaguchi followed shortly after, and with his entrance Tsukishima stood up almost abruptly. Like moving through oil, his limbs were heavy yet light, as though disconnected from his body. It was like the world moved faster, and the blond’s movements were no longer bound by air resistance. Yamaguchi met his stare with wide eyes and almost rushed to meet Tsukishima halfway. Tsukishima leaned in, breath heavy with the smell of beer, body close enough that Yamaguchi had to keep a tight grip on Tsukishima’s arm to stop them from toppling over.

The blond whispered something in their ear. Yamaguchi laughed, lifting his shoulder to his ear to shield it from Tsukishima’s breath. The freckled boy’s face was bright red as he rested it against the other’s shoulder, as though the scent of Tsukishima’s shirt was enough to intoxicate.

“Yes, yes, I’ll bring you home later.”

As Tsukishima spoke, Yamaguchi could feel a low hum resonate throughout his body.

The freckled boy’s jaw slackened, his hand clutching at a clump of Tsukishima’s sleeve. Tsukishima placed a hand to the other’s back, spurring them into making eye contact. “Oh. That’s… I can’t answer that right now.”

“Why not?”

“It's kind of sudden, and you might feel differently in the morning.”

“Would you feel differently in the morning?” Tsukishima echoed.

Yamaguchi glanced to the side. “I don’t know.”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Tsukishima said as he tilted his head to follow Yamaguchi’s line of sight. “Unless you want it to.”

The freckled boy smiled weakly as he replied, “I want to think about it, so ask me again when you’re sober.”

 

* * *

 

Go! Go! Go!

The lights began to dance. He was vaguely aware that the room came with a disco lighting setting, but he was unsure of how it looked like. The answer to that question didn’t matter to him. His curiosity itched for something else to satisfy him. What? What was it? His thoughts swam in the liquid that slushed in his glass. He figured that maybe drinking it down would bring them back into his head.

Drink up! Drink up! Drink up!

His mouth moved of its own accord. What did he say? He wasn’t sure, but it made Yamaguchi smile. But maybe everyone was smiling. He wasn’t sure, he wasn’t really looking at anyone else.

“Hey, we should get going,” he heard Yamaguchi say. “If we stay any longer, I don’t think I could make it to work on time tomorrow.”

Glasses of water had been passed around, to sober them enough to stand and make their way home.

He was starting to find it difficult to process what was happening to him. He could see what was happening, hear what was being said, but they didn’t really stay with him long enough. He still felt his mouth move.

He was lead into the backseat of a taxi cab. He sensed Yamaguchi slide next to him, gripping their hand as they mouthed something to him. A messy mop of blonde hair flopped onto Yamaguchi’s lap, seemingly lifeless until it started to shake slightly from laughter.

When he came to, he was still inside the taxi cab, his head pressed against the window that had fogged up slightly from his breath. He looked around the cab in a daze, peeking at the front seat and again underneath the backseats. Words spilled out of his mouth quickly and his hand was on the door handle but it wouldn’t budge from the child lock. The driver said something and it didn’t make sense, but the other door opened and Yamaguchi was next to him again. The taxi revved up and moved back into the streets. He leaned against the window to rest his head once more but it was way too bumpy for comfort, but it was too much of a burden to keep himself upright. He closed his eyes and his head throbbed. He was slow to notice that his body was now angled differently, but he didn’t question it. It was a ghost of a touch, but he felt it caress his cheek, and it made the bumps in the road somehow bearable.

 

* * *

 

 

Yamaguchi’s voice was distant.

“Can you stand?”

“Where are your keys?”

“Never mind.”

“Good night, Tsukki.”

He couldn’t say for sure if his eyes were open before then, but he was certain that when he’d closed them shut, he felt something soft and warm linger ever so slightly on his cheek. When he fluttered them open again, he couldn’t make sense of the stars in his vision.

 

* * *

 

 

When Tsukishima regained his consciousness, his throat was left dry from the words he barely remembered saying. His memories were fuzzy at best, but they slowly creeped up on him. Pin, Pon, Pan, Pin, Pon, Pin, Go, Go, Go! Shit, No more, Ha, Ha ha, Yamaguchi, Stay, Move, Wait.

Tsukishima slowly opened his eyes. He could barely make out the vague colours and shapes that surrounded him, and their unfamiliarity was disorienting. He squinted in an attempt to get a better understanding of his situation, but all he could confirm was that he was not at his apartment. He carefully lifted himself off of the couch he’d sprawled on, the pain gradually registering in his body. His eyes darted to a nearby end table, where two books were neatly placed on top of one another. He recognized them as the marine biology book he'd purchased the day before, along with the booklet that Yachi had given him during their gathering. A glass of water along with his eyeglasses were carefully placed next to them. Underneath his frames was a note written on a torn piece of paper. It read, “Breakfast on the table.” As though hastily added as an afterthought, another reminder was scrawled at the bottom. “Don’t forget to stay hydrated and get lots of rest, Tsukki!”

He brought his palms to his face, massaging his eyes with the heels of his hands. He forced himself to remember. What happened last night, after he’d had one drink too many? Just how much of an inconvenience had he been? Did he do anything funny? Did anyone get any footage of it?

He could only remember, however vaguely, that the alcohol he’d consumed had managed to curse him with the courage and wrong timing to ask something that haunted him ever since he started living alone in his apartment.

“Would you move in with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only proofread this thing once lmao if there are any mistakes, I would be grateful if you'd let me know of them!
> 
> Can't say for sure when the next update would be, but it'd be within the month, that's for sure! Fingers crossed!! Thank you for your patience! ;o;
> 
> I've been in a constant limbo over whether or not I would include the older Tsukishima in the story ever since I hinted at his existence in the first few chapters, but I suppose I have made my decision now, huh? ;v;


	18. After

Tick tock. The minutes phased by and his students began looking more eagerly at the classroom’s wall clock. The teacher stubbed his toe on the leg of his desk, and the pain was enough to temporarily distract him from his daydreaming. Yamaguchi felt his throat tense and the hand he’d tucked inside his coat pocket begin to perspire. The piece of chalk that dangled in his fingers slightly crumbled in his grasp.

“If you have any questions, I’ll be staying behind to answer them,” he said as he brought the chalk piece onto the blackboard ledge. His hands were stained with white dust.

The school bell that heralded the end of the day was a song of the angels — a thing of beauty that brought life to a weary face. The ringing echoed throughout the hallways, much to the pupils’ happiness. They formally ended their lesson and the teacher answered any follow up inquiries, just as he’d promised. While his mouth spilled words of genera and species, in his mind he was already weighing his key in his hand, making his way through the front door of his apartment.

 

* * *

 

With robotic legs and strained facial muscles, Yamaguchi made his way into the train station. When he re-emerged into the twilight, his jacket was askew and his hair a tangled mess — telltale signs of having barely elbowed his way through the rush hour.

He brushed his fingers through his hair and smoothed his pants, and as he weaved through his neighborhood he began to tug at his coat sleeves and pull at his collar. He kept himself busy, and when he brought his key to the door, his hands refused to be still and almost dropped the tiny slip of metal in the process. While he’d envisioned the scene in his mind countless times, finally confronting it in reality was proving to be an ordeal of its own.

He took in a deep breath before cautiously turning the knob, trying as much as possible to prevent it from creaking. His efforts were in vain.

  
"I'm home,” he said, voice cracking as he hesitated to say the words.

The silence that followed was unmistakable and customary. He closed the door behind him and glanced at the dining table, which had been wiped clean of every speck of dust. He walked over to the kitchen sink to find that it was spick and span, with not a drop of water around the basin to hint at its usage. A lump in his throat began to form as he approached his living room, tiptoeing to the area although he knew what to expect. He still felt a weight in his chest when he confirmed that the place was empty as well.

He took off his jacket and draped it on a dining chair before rushing over to his front door to remove his footwear. He rolled up his shirt sleeves and lazily opened the door to his refrigerator. The cool air that rushed out offset the warmth of his skin. A plain white box stood out amongst the refrigerator's contents, and the sight caused Yamaguchi to purse his lips.

His face felt cold by the time he finally closed the door of his fridge, and as he stood from his squat he remained empty-handed. Yamaguchi took off his tie and loosened up a button of his shirt while he moved towards his comfort room. The empty stare in the mirror greeted him, and the dark shadows under his eyes were only enhanced in the bathroom lighting. Yamaguchi walked over to the sink and splashed cold water to his face. He glared at his reflection as he mindlessly brushed his teeth, causing the foam to overflow from his mouth and spill to his forearm. He spat away the excess and brushed his tongue to the point of almost throwing up.

Once he patted his face dry, he started to comb through his hair, continuing to stare at the reflections in the mirror as he did so. When he finished, his eyes immediately darted towards his laundry basket, and he walked over to close its lid. He made his way out of the comfort room and back into his kitchen, his steps slowing once he approached his refrigerator again. He crouched before it, bringing his hand to the door handle with newfound determination. His fingers barely brushed at the glossy white box before he sighed, resigning to placing both of his hands firmly onto its sides.

 

* * *

 

As Yamaguchi locked the door of his apartment, he mentally simulated the events he projected would be taking place, rehearsing his lines and alibis until it was second nature. The words weighed heavy in his mind, his thoughts a burden on their own.

A chill breeze blew past him, and as his hair was thrown into an artless disarray, he wondered why he was voluntarily setting himself up for such discomfort. Oddly enough, he found his answer quite effortlessly. It was difficult to ignore the truth when it was right before him, walking towards him with a surprised expression of their own.

Almost instantly Yamaguchi’s feet shifted on the ground, the loafers he’d carelessly slipped into now faced the well-worn sneakers he’d seen many times before.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Yamaguchi repeated bashfully. “Where are you going, Tsukki?”

"Ah, well..." Tsukishima looked past Yamaguchi’s shoulder and the freckled boy followed their line of sight.

“… My apartment?"

Tsukishima sighed before saying, “Yeah.”

Yamaguchi observed the blond’s face as he thought about what to say. His mouth opened to speak, but the words catch in his throat and only a squeak escapes his lips. Like smashing into a stop sign, Yamaguchi found himself wondering whether Tsukishima even remembered the things he wanted to talk about, and the freckled boy weighed the possibility that the blond might have even wanted to forget about them altogether. Yamaguchi had wanted to ask about many things, but he’d prepared for a different type of reunion and the script he’d comitted to memory was rendered useless in the reality he faced.

The blond waited for them to reply, but when the silence grew between them, he cleared his throat and commented, “Your collar’s a little crooked.”

“Is it?” Yamaguchi said with a jump, startled from the sudden remark. “Uh, my hands are full right now. Could you adjust it for me, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima silently brought his hands to Yamaguchi’s shirt, fingers only touching where they needed to be. “Where are you headed right now, anyway?”

Yamaguchi stumbled on his words before he managed to say, “Your place, actually.”

“Eh, you weren’t planning on letting me know beforehand? A bit of a double standard, huh?” Tsukishima sneered, folding his arms before him.

“Sorry, it really slipped my mind,” Yamaguchi apologized. “But hey, you didn’t message me at all this time, too.”

“Then we’re even,” Tsukishima shrugged. “Where are we going this time, then?”

“Uh, well, this is for you,” Yamaguchi said as he slowly lifted the box he’d been holding. “So I guess I should be leaving this at your place first.”

“Oh, okay,” Tsukishima said as he turned to face the same direction as Yamaguchi. They unhurriedly paced themselves through the walkways. “What even is that?”

“It’s a birthday cake,” Yamaguchi smiled self-consciously.

“Huh? It’s a few days early, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t really think this through,” the freckled boy laughed nervously. “While baking the one for the party last night, I guess I thought it’d be a good idea to make one just for you, too.”

“Oh, you made that?” Tsukishima said with slightly raised eyebrows. “I didn’t know you had an oven.”

“I don’t. I had to make them at Yachi’s.”

Tsukishima nodded in acknowledgement. “Were you two the ones who organized the whole thing last night?”

“Yeah,” Yamaguchi said as he glanced at Tsukishima before returning his focus back to the sidewalk. “Luckily everyone was able to make it despite their busy schedules.”

“It was kind of strange to see them all in one place.”

“Wasn’t it?” The freckled boy commented as he awkwardly chuckled.

“But it was unexpectedly entertaining,” Tsukishima said with a faint smile. “Thanks. If not for you, I would’ve never witnessed their awful karaoke singing.”

“Eh, really? A few weeks ago, Yachi mentioned going on a karaoke party with Hinata and some other museum co-workers, so I thought for sure that you went along with them.”

“Ah, I didn’t make it to that one.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t really feel like it,” Tsukishima admitted.

“I see,” Yamaguchi said softly.

The blond’s apartment building could be seen in the distance, its plain silhouette comforting in its own way. The two of them continued walking in silence, quietly accommodating to one another's space until a glossy redhead’s familiar grin greeted them.

“You didn’t have work today?” Yamaguchi said as he surveyed the blond’s shoe rack as he took off his own footwear by the entrance.

“Yes and no. I stopped volunteering already.”

“Oh, since when?”

“Monday.”

“Really?” the freckled boy said as he tilted his head. “What have you been doing lately?”

“Nothing. Just killing time here until classes start,” Tsukishima confessed.

“You stayed home the whole time?”

“Why?”

“Just asking,” Yamaguchi said as he defensively brought his hands before his body. “I mean, if you stayed here all the time, then wouldn’t it have been a bit…”

“Boring?” Tsukishima said. “Not really. I’ve been reading.”

“Oh.”

“Speaking of, this morning I read that little booklet thing that you guys gave—“

“Ah, haha, you did?” Yamaguchi blurted out, his shaky voice cutting into the silence of the apartment. He held the white box closer to his body as he walked into the hallways, his speedy steps causing him to mess up his footing and almost trip over nothing. “Did you read everything already?”

Tsukishima’s voice was softer in comparison as he replied, “Yeah. You—“

“Aren’t you a little hungry, Tsukki?”

“Uh, not really, but—“

“Let me just put this away first,” Yamaguchi announced as he pat the top of the box he’d been carrying. “Eh, where is everything?” he asked as he opened Tsukishima’s refrigerator.

“That’s all there is.”

“There’s not much to see,” the freckled boy said slowly. He slid the white box into one of the compartments and closed the refrigerator door. “I was planning on making dinner, but I don’t think there’s much to work with.”

“There’s noodles,” the blond shrugged.

“Well, I wouldn’t really mind, but then what are you going to do about your meal tomorrow?”

“I think I have enough to last me until then.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Yamaguchi said. “Come on, let’s head to the supermarket.”

“Why? I thought you were hungry already.”

“It can wait,” Yamaguchi said as his stomach grumbled its own response. “Uh, well, I guess we can eat on our way there.”

 

* * *

 

The two made their way towards a nearby eatery. The place was crowded with guests ordering their dinner, but Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were able to squeeze themselves into a table by the middle of the shop. Fellow patrons moved around them, and it was inconveniencing to have to adjust their seats every now and then to make way for the passersby. The strangers’ lighthearted conversations made the meat and grains fly off their plates practically unnoticed, making it appear as though their companions made their meals easier to swallow.

The steam from the food fogged up Tsukishima’s eyeglasses. As he wiped his lenses with the hem of his shirt, he squinted his eyes at the other boy and asked, “May I see your left hand?”

Yamaguchi’s hands were gingerly wrapped around his soup bowl, close enough to feel the warmth that radiated from it but not enough to be burnt from the heat. “Why?” he asked as he brought his hand into Tsukishima’s, and the blond lightly rubbed over his fingers, their touch avoiding the area of a freshly healed cut.

“No plaster today?”

“Oh, yeah, I didn’t think it was necessary.”

Tsukishima nodded. It was only then that he decided to slip his eyeglasses back on and prepared to eat his meal. As they hesitated to take their first bite, he whispered, “Hey, did I do anything weird last night?”

Yamaguchi lifted his head and carefully looked at Tsukishima’s serious expression. He quickly glanced at the blond’s plate and confirmed that his food was still as untouched as his own. The freckled boy made a conscious effort to keep his voice leveled, but laughter spilled from his mouth as a smile stretched his face. “It’s hard to say. There was so much going on.”

“Just give me an example then,” Tsukishima said warily.

“Well,” Yamaguchi began, keeping his eyes on the plastic spoon he slushed into his soup. “You were basically narrating our every move as they occured.”

Tsukishima groaned. “That’s a regular complaint.”

“You weren’t particularly rowdy at the karaoke, but I did have my hands full keeping Yachi off of the table, so I didn’t really notice,” Yamaguchi confessed. “But when we were alone, you were quite the wreck.”

“We were alone?” Tsukishima asked with furrowed brows.

“You don’t remember?” Yamaguchi said with a small smile, but it was one that appeared too mischievous to be completely innocent.

The blond frowned even more. “Is this something I even want to hear?”

“It’d be a waste if I’d be the only one who knew about it,” Yamaguchi began. “When I finished ushering Yachi back to her house, I had the taxi drop us off at your place next. When we got there it was a complete struggle to get you up to the second floor. You were quite heavy to move around, Tsukki.”

“You carried me?” Tsukishima asked, slightly apalled.

“No way,” Yamaguchi said flatly. “I just helped you out a bit. Anyway, when we got to your door, you couldn’t remember where you put your keys, and I couldn’t find your spare key under the potted plant either. How did you get home today, anyway?”

“I tucked my key inside my shoe so I wouldn’t misplace it,” Tsukishima grumbled.

“Oh,” Yamaguchi nodded. “Well, it must’ve been adrenaline, but luckily I still had enough strength to help you down to the ground floor again. You ended up collapsing by the front gate, though.”

“What?” the blond said, coughing on his food.

“You were motioning to this litter of cats and the next moment you were already rolling on the dirt with them,” Yamaguchi said, struggling to speak with a poker face. He recounted how he’d fallen to the ground due to the blond’s force.

In his mind, he vividly remembered how he’d tumbled beside Tsukishima and barely dodged a kitten’s paw on the way down. The blond began to laugh as he clumsily petted a cat’s head with one hand and ruffled Yamaguchi’s hair with the other. Yamaguchi looked on worriedly, eyeing the kitten’s sharp flash of teeth as Tsukishima smoothed the top of its head, the blond painfully oblivious to its potential threat. But as time went on, the cat only appeared bored. Its gray coat was the muted backdrop to Tsukishima’s own tangle of locks. The moonlight blanched his mess of hair, its waves a sight to behold in itself.

In the haze of midnight, it grew difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality, but Yamaguchi was quickly reacquainted with the facts.

“You had trouble standing and eventually threw up, and I had to pull you away from playing with your vomit,” Yamaguchi said before taking a sip of water.

“You’re joking.”

“I wish I was.”

“No wonder my shirt smelled awful,” Tsukishima shook his head.

“Eh, but didn’t I change you into a t-shirt once we got to my apartment?”

“Yeah, but I found my soiled shirt in your laundry hamper.”

Yamaguchi made a face. “Ah, the stench must have been awful by then. Sorry, I forgot to soak it.”

“It’s fine. I brought it home with me anyway,” Tsukishima said in monotone. The blond cleared his throat before softly adding, “But was there anything I…”

“You…?”

“Was there anything I said?”

“What do you mean?” Yamaguchi said as he strained to smile, his mind reeling with recollections of the previous night. He felt warmth spread across his face, and he brought a glass of water to his lips to buy himself some time to recover.

“Did I say anything strange, or I don’t know,” Tsukishima shrugged, their eyes fixated on the table.

Yamaguchi found it challenging to focus on just one thing. His thoughts were a scramble. One more, Stay here, Move in, I like — fuck, Shit, Fucking shit, Spica, Boxers, Know your place, Wait, Boxers. Boxers!

“Well, you said a lot of things, but at the top of my head I know you confessed that you’d been wearing the same boxers for two days straight.”

 

* * *

 

When they were done eating, they made their way to their neighborhood supermarket, with Yamaguchi expertly guiding Tsukishima through the aisles that he knew by heart.

“Why are you buying so much? I don’t think I have enough money on me to pay for all this,” Tsukishima grumbled as Yamaguchi piled on more things into their shopping basket.

“Don’t stress over it, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “If there’s anything to worry about, it’s the fact that you’ve been going on noodles for most of the week.”

“I’m not a natural at the kitchen.”

“That’s not an excuse to compromise your health,” Yamaguchi said as he thoughtfully scanned through the meat section. He finally narrowed down his choices and began critically assessing two packs of chicken cuts.

Tsukishima blinked groggily at the white meat, stifling a yawn as he said, “I can’t even think of something I could make with that.”

“Oh. Would it be okay if I wrote a recipe for you?”

“I guess that would work,” Tsukishima said as he rested his forehead on Yamaguchi’s back.

“Are you tired or bored?” Yamaguchi chuckled, returning one of the packs back onto the display.

“I don’t really know myself,” Tsukishima answered.

“Do you want to wait outside? I won’t be taking much longer.”

“No, I’d rather stay here.”

“All right,” Yamaguchi smiled. “Why don’t I carry the basket this time?”

“Are you sure? It’s gotten quite heavy.”

“You don’t think I’ve got the strength to lift that?”

“No,” Tsukishima answered as he straightened his back. Yamaguchi slowly turned to face him, their face set in a thoughtful expression. Tsukishima continued, “You’re tired from work, aren’t you? I can manage.”

“If that’s what you’re worried about, it’s fine. I feel better after eating,” Yamaguchi said.

Once they’d reached a compromise, they moved towards the dairy section, where Tsukishima wordlessly reached over to grab a bottle of milk.

“Did something happen?” Tsukishima asked, staring at the other boy with a confused look.

“No,” Yamaguchi said as he restrained himself from smiling, eyes glancing at the pink liquid that weighed down the basket they carried between them.

As they made their rounds through the supermarket, their basket had gotten so full that they eventually utilized a shopping cart. When they finally made their way to the check-out counter, Tsukishima worriedly looked at the cashier’s screen, the steady increase of the digital number reading only deepening the crease of his brow.

Yamaguchi brought a hand to the blond’s back, leisurely drawing circles over their shirt as he said, “Are you okay, Tsukki?”

“Well —“

“Sir,” the cashier called for their attention and reiterated their total bill.

“Ah, okay,” Yamaguchi nodded as he reached into his pocket and retrieved his wallet.

Tsukishima’s mouth felt dry as he caught a glimpse of the other boy’s empty paper bill compartment. He was even more concerned as he witnessed Yamaguchi taking out a thin plastic slip and passing it to the cashier.

“What?” Tsukishima said as he squinted at the shiny text printed across the card. “Are you serious?”

“What? I forgot to withdraw some cash,” Yamaguchi said innocently.

“Okay…?” Tsukishima frowned. “I’ll pay you back next time.”

“No, don’t mind it,” the freckled boy said as he waved a hand before him. He graciously accepted his card along with the groceries that had been given to him by the bagger. He split the load with his companion. “You’re actually doing me a favor here.”

“How so?”

“Well, I only ever use that credit card when I need to, since if I don’t make any purchases with it my parents start to get suspicious,” the freckled boy answered. “Since I’m working, using any more of their money just doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Is that why your place is filled with merchandise?”

“Hey, I use my own money for those kinds of things,” Yamaguchi defended. “Well, most of it, anyway.”

The two walked out of the supermarket and back onto the sidewalk, the dark sky greeting them in the starless night.

“I should be getting home, then. I still have some work to do,” Yamaguchi said once they reached the entrance of Tsukishima's apartment building. The freckled boy motioned to pass his share of the grocery bags to the other boy, but instead he leaned closer to properly observe the other’s already pale hands. “Are they heavy?”

“Yes, actually,” Tsukishima droned. “But it’s fine, I can handle it.”

“Okay,” Yamaguchi said as he reluctantly handed over the baggage. One of the straps accidentally slipped past Tsukishima’s fingers, and Yamaguchi bent over to readjust it.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Yamaguchi smiled as he lifted his head, bumping into Tsukishima’s nose as he did so, causing their eyeglasses to tilt on their face. “Ah, sorry Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said before lightly lifting the frame from either side of Tsukishima’s face. He carefully angled the temples and tucked the stray locks of hair behind their ears. He let his hands linger, cupping the sides of Tsukishima’s face as he checked whether he’d positioned the eyeglasses correctly. “Is it leveled already?”

“Yeah,” Tsukishima replied. “Your hands are warm.”

“Your face is cold,” Yamaguchi said as he gently squeezed Tsukishima’s face between his hands, causing their eyeglasses to ride up their nose. The freckled boy apologized as he readjusted their black frames again, staring at the other boy as he whispered, “Your eyes are such a nice colour, Tsukki.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, your arms probably hurt by now,” Yamaguchi stammered as he brought his hands back to his sides.

“It’s not a problem,” Tsukishima shrugged, turning away as though to play off the colour that began to spread across his face. “I guess I’ll be seeing you on Saturday, then?”

“Oh, right, of course,” Yamaguchi smiled. “Good night, Tsukki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of curiosity I searched the YamaTsuki tag with the Word Count filter on and Redefining Routine was on the first page… it might even be the longest YamaTsuki-centric fic on ao3 right now wtf why did I let it reach this point… u___u
> 
> Not only is this update late again, this chapter was also Not Supposed to Exist, as in I'd initially scrapped the idea but revisited it on the last minute anyway. I guess I felt that there needed to be a sort of break from all the plot-important fluff moments (and goodness knows I need a breather from writing that sort of thing for consecutive chapters lol I have such a hard time writing ~romance~) You've probably got a good idea of what the next update's going to be about so... I'm going to need to prepare my mind and heart ;__;
> 
> My work schedule is leaving my brain fried but I always find comfort in writing this story, so while I've been ranting about how challenging it is to write this and while the updates are coming out later than usual, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be giving up on it ;v; I know how long fics can be such a pain to follow, so I'm really thankful for all your support!!


	19. Answer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …I'm really sorry for the VERY LONG delay. I won't elaborate on the reasons, I'm just glad to be able to update again ;_;
> 
> That aside, thank you SO MUCH for all your messages during this time, I could just about cry from your kindness ;__; I felt especially inspired these past few days (probably pent up from the days of idleness) so this chapter ended up being extra lengthy and littered with doodles. I normally make the doodles on the day I post a chapter but I got all gung-ho and started early this time. Please let me know if they don't show up — there are **six drawings** and **two SMS-style images** in total! : )
> 
> Because of this chapter's length it might be an ordeal to finish in one sitting, so I'd suggest taking a break where I've placed the pound/hash symbol: **_###_**
> 
> I can't say for certain if this chapter would end up being worth the wait, but I feel like this is my favourite one so far —

A shrill noise pierced through the quiet. When sleep left him, all he saw was darkness. In a swift moment, his vision filled with the stream of light that filtered through the motionless curtains. The windows were peppered with faint droplets, and he could hear the patter of rain outside. He squinted into the night and groped under his pillow to retrieve the suspect of his disturbed rest. It buzzed in his hand. He didn’t bother keeping his eyes open as he positioned the cold device by his ear. He left it to balance on the side of his head as he dropped his hands back onto the futon.

“Do you know what time it is?” Tsukishima hissed.

Soft laughter tickled his ear, its softness almost tricking him into thinking that the chuckle had come from the space right next to him.

Warmth filled his chest as he hushed, “Yamaguchi?”

“Sorry to wake you, Tsukki,” said the groggy voice that smoothed the crease in Tsukishima’s brow.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Yamaguchi whispered. “Heh, it’s almost strange to hear your voice at this hour.”

“Why are you calling?” the blond sighed, attempting to sound exasperated.

“Ah, well, I ended up sleeping through my first alarm so it’s a bit late, but I wanted to be the first — uh, one of the first at least, — to greet you today,” Yamaguchi stuttered. “Happy birthday, Tsukki.”

The blur of his vision paled in comparison to the muddle of his thoughts, and the heat of Tsukishima’s body caused him to perspire under his comforter. He swallowed despite the dryness of his mouth, his heart dropping to his stomach along with the nervousness he tried to calm. He brought a hand to his phone as he said, “Couldn’t this have waited until a more reasonable hour?”

“Y-yeah, you’re right, sorry to bother you so late in the night.”

“It’s fine.”

There was silence between the both of them, each only hearing the sound of leveled breathing coming from the other end of the line. Despite the quiet, Tsukishima didn’t think to put the phone down.

“Thanks, Yamaguchi.”

“It’s no problem Tsukki!” Yamaguchi dismissed, sounding both surprised and embarassed. “I guess I’ll leave all the talking for when we meet, or at least when we aren’t sleep deprived anymore.”

“Sure,” Tsukishima replied, smiling to himself. “Would you want me to pick you up later?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess that’s fine. Just tell me beforehand, okay? Please remember this time.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll see you later, then.”

Tsukishima hummed in response. He closed his eyes and strained to listen to the other boy’s exhales, the faint huffs a lullaby. “Good night, Yamaguchi.”

“Oh. Sleep well, Tsukki.”

The skin where his phone rested now felt warm, as though Yamaguchi himself had breathed onto the side of Tsukishima’s face. Even in slumber, the warmth didn’t leave him.

 

* * *

 

In the haze of the morning, he thrust into the realm halfway between sleep and consciousness. He rubbed his eyes and rolled to his side, and in his mind he mulled over what had been a dream and what had been his reality the night before. His memory was sketchy at best, but a quick glance through his phone’s call log was enough to bring alertness back into his body.

He nuzzled his head back into his pillow, grabbing handfuls of its white clumps. The soft cotton barely muffled his groan, a cry of irritation he’d aimed towards himself. Tsukishima squeezed his eyes shut and curled into a fetal position, but his mind overflowed with thoughts and his stomach grumbled with hunger that it was impossible to try to oversleep.

With a sigh he propped himself up on the mattress, slightly disappointed over how he still had leftover giddiness. He lifted himself off of the floor and dragged his feet to the bathroom, where he begrudgingly forced himself to shower. The water beat down on his back with a steady pressure. Once the heating finally kicked in, the bath wasn’t as unpleasant as it initially seemed.

After buttoning up his black dress shirt, Tsukishima slung his duffel bag around his body and patted his pockets for his wallet. He struggled with his shoelaces before finally leaving his apartment, and when he walked out into the daylight, he made a beeline back to his room to layer on a brown collared sweater.

The cold air nipped at his nose and Tsukishima silently appreciated how his spectacles shielded his eyes from the chill breeze. The shop stalls on the sidewalks were only beginning to open, and their newly wiped windows were canvases that shone with patterns drawn in water.

Music blared through his headphones, but they weren’t upbeat enough to stop him from covering his mouth as he yawned. He grabbed a coffee and a cold sandwich along the way, disinterestedly consuming them as he plodded onwards. He entered the mostly deserted train station with heavy eyelids, staring into empty space as he waited for the next train. Doors fizzled open and shut. After two stops he finally arrived at the Tokyo station. He adjusted his bag straps as he joined the crowd of people that traversed the place, and Tsukishima either avoided their gazes or looked past them altogether.

By the time he arrived at the platform, the bullet train was already welcoming passengers. He settled by a window and closed his eyes, thoughtlessly skipping through the songs in his playlist. While he sat unmoving in the cushioned seat, the scenery around him blurred.

He jiggled his leg and rested his chin on his hand as he stared at the gray expanse that loomed outside. The muted cityscape faded into stretches of riverbanks interspersed between patches of greenery. When Tsukishima jerked his head to glare at the young child that began to cry a few seats down the aisle, his vision turned spotty and he developed a headache.

In his pocket, his cellphone began to vibrate. Tsukishima scowled when he caught a glimpse of the time on his wristwatch, but his expression sobered when he read the name that flashed on the screen.

“Happy birthday!”

Tsukishima gazed out the window as he counted down from ten in his mind. He made a conscious effort to type as leisurely as he could, but the speed in his fingers betrayed him as he replied, “Didn’t you already say that last night?”

“You’re awake already? Good morning, Tsukki! Sorry about calling late last night, I hope you aren’t mad about it.”

“Why would I be mad?” he typed in lightning speed, instinctively sending the message once he’d finished writing it.

It surprised Tsukishima to read Yamaguchi’s reply almost instantaneously after his earlier slip up. “You sounded pissed…”

 

“Like what?” Tsukisihima typed out. He tapped his finger on the screen before adding, "Can I call you instead? It's too bothersome to type things out."

 

With every second that passed, the weight of his phone grew heavier in his hand. Against his will, he began to glance at his phone screen every now and then, alternating between locking and unlocking the keypad.

His phone had barely played through its first vibration alert when he swiftly flicked his wrist and viewed the notification.

"I'm already here waiting for you."

Tsukishima frowned. He half-heartedly replied to his brother's message and resigned to mindlessly flicking through his playlist again, hoping the songs would distract him.

When he received another message, he didn't feel as enthusiastic anymore, but the sender's name was enough to bring warmth back into his system.  
  
Yamaguchi had replied, "Sorry for the late repyl, I'm in the middle of wrappin up the classx discussionm." [sic]

A smile threatened to form on his lips, and when his phone buzzed again he reflexively covered his mouth with his hand.

"And no way, it's never a bother to talk to you Tsukki!"

 

* * *

 

The announcer’s smooth voice resounded through the coach. Without fully realizing it, Tsukishima had already arrived at Sendai station. He stood from his seat and retrieved his baggage. When he walked out from the station, the brisk wind that welcomed him made him shiver. Tsukishima squinted as he scrolled through his contacts list, thumb settling on his brother’s entry. Just as he pressed the button to make the call, two hands jabbed the sides of his waist with painstaking accuracy that sent electricity down his spine and left Tsukishima paralyzed for a good moment. He was quickly pulled into a hug, and the scowl on Tsukishima’s face morphed into discomfort.

“Happy birthday, Kei!”

“Can’t you be a little gentle to me on my birthday, niichan?” the younger Tsukishima said as they stepped away and covered their sides.

“There’s no need to be so on guard. I won’t tickle you, I promise. Well, at least not out here," Akiteru smiled as he directed them to the parking lot. “Did the city dull your senses or was the two-hour trip enough to wear you down? Don’t you dare say that age is catching up to you, because what would that make of me then?”

Kei trailed behind. He blew into his hands and rubbed them before he thrust them into his pockets. It didn’t take long for them to reach their family van, and its familiar facade already felt like home.

“Mom wanted me to hand you a jacket,” his brother grinned as he reached into the passenger seat and retrieved the clump of brown leatherette. “She was so sure that you’d forget to bring one, and I guess you haven’t wised up with your years.”

“Isn’t this yours?”

"Yeah, I couldn't find any of yours at home. You can keep it."

“Thanks,” Kei whispered as they struggled to slip their arms through the sleeves. They pulled at its hem.

“Hey, it quite suits you,” Akiteru smiled.

While the lined pockets provided much needed warmth, Kei’s arms hung stiff by their waistline. It didn't budge no matter how much they tugged downwards. “It’s a little short,” they commented monotonously.

“You’re overreacting. There’s not much of a difference in our height.”

Kei squinted their eyes as they observed Akiteru sliding into the driver’s seat. He pushed his eyeglasses up his nosebridge before getting into the car himself. “Right. Is this your idea of a birthday gift?”

“Hey, times are hard, you know! But really, my gift’s back at the house. You can check it out once we get home, but I’m pretty sure mom would want you to open hers first.”

The car revved up and they slithered out of the parking lot. The buildings didn't stand as tall and the streets weren't as crowded as he'd grown accustomed to. The road was deserted in comparison to the traffic in Tokyo. Kei lowered his gaze to the bag on his lap.

“Why so silent?”

“I didn’t mean to say it like that, nii-chan —“

“I know. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Kei pursed his lips. “What happened to your job in Osaka?”

“Ah, well, the pay was good but it was just too expensive to stay there. It seemed like most of my salary went towards living expenses. It felt counterproductive when the main reason why I even went there in the first place was to be able to send enough home."

“Then what does that make of my living conditions?” the younger boy frowned.

“That’s different. You shouldn’t stress over it so much. I’m just moving back here with mom and dad to give them company for a bit. It’s a little lonely for them now without their baby boys, don’t you think?”

Kei tightened his jaw and nodded.

“You just concentrate on what you have to right now. Let your big brother handle the stuff at home, all right, Kei?”

In the silence of the automobile, Kei’s ring tone echoed in its confines. His nimble fingers rushed to cease its ringing, but Akiteru had already noticed. The younger boy quickly shielded his phone’s screen with his palm.

“Okay,” Akiteru said slowly. “Who’s that?”

“Just a friend.”

“That in itself sounds suspicious,” Akiteru laughed. “Are you texting your date for the night?”

“Hmm,” Kei grumbled.

“So there's someone you've been dating?" the older boy asked with a smile.

Kei's voice was barely audible as they replied, "No, this is the first time."

"Ah, so it's real fresh then," Akiteru's grin widened. "If you play your cards right, before you know it you'd be joined at the hip and moving in together. Just make sure to introduce them to me before things get serious, all right?"

"Uh, well, about that," the younger Tsukishima mumbled.

"What, am I an uncle now?"

"No," Kei spat. "I kind of already asked them to move in with me."

"What?"

"I was drunk," Kei defended.

"Uh, all right, but how did you even have the mind to say that? I thought you hadn't dated them before."

"That's true, but I guess we're together most of the time."

"Well, did you ever mention it again?"

"No, none of us ever brought it up, so I'm not sure if they even remember it."

"I see," his brother nodded. "Well, if you ever talk about it then you better clear up what your relationship really is, maybe set and agree on boundaries and such. Oh, don't give me that sour face. You'd thank me for it, trust me. How would you feel if they'd bring home a date for you to meet?"

"I don't want to think about it," he deadpanned.

"Exactly. There are just some things that won't come across unless you say them. I know you'd rather keep to yourself, but if you're planning on being serious, then you're going to have to learn how to share and speak up. A little mystery is nice, but don't keep them in the dark."

The older boy rested his elbow on the edge of the passenger seat and turned his head to view the rear window. He backed the car into a calculated angle, a smug smile on his face when he managed to park with precision. The two brothers could see their mother standing by their front door, an excited look on her face.

“All right,” Akiteru exclaimed with a discreet fist pump. “Let’s make up for all the birthdays we didn’t get to celebrate together!”

 

* * *

**_###_ **

* * *

 

The sky was enshrouded by blue-gray clouds. The hints of pale light that seeped through them made it seem like it was early morning. Harsh gusts raged through the street, tousling hair and blowing scarves with its bitterness. If not for his eyeglasses, it would have been impossible to navigate through the crowd without squinting.

He dragged his heavy feet up the stairs to his empty apartment. It had grown even emptier after his departure, not so much in terms of material possessions but rather empty in comparison to the home he'd left behind.

From the entrance to the main hallway, Tsukishima shrugged off his layers bit by bit. He slid off his brother's jacket and unbuttoned his clothes before bringing his bare feet onto the cold tiles of his bathroom floor.

He hunched over his sink, gripping at its side as he brushed his teeth. The bristles felt harsh and rough against enamel and gum, as though he were sanding them bare. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before rinsing his mouth, and when he spat the liquid was tainted with red. He ran his tongue across his gums until he sensed a sting.

Tsukishima walked over to the side of the room, and with a turn of a knob it began to rain. Cool water trailed his spine and smoothed his curls into stringy clumps, but the lather of shampoo could only cleanse his hair and not his thoughts. The bath did little to ease the tension in his shoulders. He was indifferent as he patted himself dry, but when he glanced at the time he began to move with newfound haste.

He put on a new shirt but kept the same jeans and sweater, picking them off of the trail he'd left around the place. As he fastened his belt buckle, his eyes lingered on the mess of leatherette that lay by his feet. He bent down and weighed the material in his hand, eventually deciding to slip on the jacket. If he'd felt any emotion then, it didn't show on his face.

He took out his phone and opened his inbox. Yamaguchi's last message had been from a few hours before then. Tsukishima had yet to reply. He didn't know what to make of Yamaguchi's, "I just finished at work. I'm already looking forward to seeing you later, Tsukki!"

The phone's keys were a minefield. Tsukishima carefully navigated through his words, backtracking and revising whenever he saw fit. When he finished writing the two-liner that took him a quarter of an hour to compose, he cleared out his text field and started anew. Even at that moment it still seemed too risky to continue from Yamaguchi's train of thought.

He ignored the previous message altogether and decided that brevity and simplicity would not fail him. He alternated between "I'm on my way" and "Are you home?" but ultimately couldn't decide between the two. In exasperation, he keyed in what was on his mind and shoved his phone deep into his pockets. There was no finesse in the way he struggled to tie his shoelaces and grabbed his keys from the end table. When he stumbled out of his apartment building, he briefly acknowledged a fellow tenant that smiled as he passed them by the entrance. He would've stepped on a kitten's tail if it had not mewled in time for his mind to regain its alertness. As he frantically avoided the feline, he practically threw himself off-balance.

The road to Yamaguchi's home was not an unfamiliar one. Feeling like he was walking on mush wasn't exactly a first, either. Tsukishima paced in a cadence much like a failing processor - if they weren't putting all their efforts into matching pace with a snail, they were trying too hard that they'd end up overheating. Either way, he was not getting that far at all.

Tsukishima phased through the crowd in his odd tempo. While his speed fluctuated, time trickled past even faster than usual. It wasn't long until he was right by Yamaguchi's block. The building seemed plain and dreary despite the golden hour, the absence of the sun's radiant sunset robbing it of its usual afternoon glow. The bespectacled boy rubbed his hands together before hiding them in his pockets as nonchalantly as he could manage.

No matter how much he wiped his palms, they still felt uncomfortable and foreign on his body. He stood before the gray door with a throat dry enough to rival the Sahara. He squeezed his fist as he lifted his arm before him. Tsukishima hadn't even mustered the courage to knock when the door unceremoniously swung open.

Tsukishima's wide-eyed stare dropped to a much lower point of view.

The person by the doorway gaped at the bespectacled blond with a pale face. Their voice was raspy as they called out, "Uh, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima-kun's here."

"Yachi, you've been making that joke all afternoon."

"N-no, look, I'm not kidding anymore," Yachi stuttered. "You said you weren't going anywhere fancy, why is he all dressed up?"

"Excuse me?" Tsukishima blurted.

The door to Yamaguchi's bedroom flung open. The freckled boy slowly peered out from it, his glare accusing. "Wh-what? Really? Didn't you say you were going to tell me before you got here?"

"But I did," the bespectacled blond flustered.

"Did you actually send it?" Yachi whispered.

"I'm pretty sure I did," Tsukishima said as he clumsily retrieved his phone. "Huh. I guess not."

Yachi laughed nervously. "You're too alike, Yamaguchi."

“Well, either way, there's no way I’m being seen with you looking like this,” Yamaguchi complained as they swung a hand before their attire. “I’ll go change.”

“What? You look fine,” Tsukishima commented.

"I don’t care if we’re just headed to a fastfood joint. I don’t want to look out of place next to you, Tsukki," Yamaguchi said as he walked back into his bedroom. A faint click followed the close of the door, hinting that he'd locked the door.

“Why would he even fuss over that?" Tsukishima grumbled.

"Do you even need to ask that?" Yachi said as she placed her hands on her hips. "He's been so excited and nervous that—"

"What, you think I'm not?" the taller boy cut in.

Yachi raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips in an attempt to control her grin. "Well, anyway, have fun! Or, I don't know. Just don't mess up, I guess."

"Right," Tsukishima replied warily.

Yachi stepped aside to make room for Tsukishima to pass, and it was only then that the two of them entered the apartment. The girl scurried to the bedroom door and knocked, "Yamaguchi, I'll be leaving now, okay?"

Yamaguchi's reply was muffled. "All right. Thanks for all the help, Yachi."

"What were you doing here anyway?" Tsukishima asked when she crouched next to him to adjust her shoes.

"Nothing much," the girl smiled innocently. "Happy birthday, Tsukishima-kun! Good luck tonight."

"Thanks," he mumbled. He moved from the kitchen area to the living room, settling himself on one of the seats. The ticking of the wall clock echoed off the walls, but he didn't wait long for Yamaguchi to finish.

The freckled boy pulled at his printed tie, the maroon knot peeping out of his khaki sweater vest. An embarrassed smile graced the other boy's lips, and it was by reflex that Tsukishima smiled back at them.

"You should take a jacket with you, it's cold out."

"Really? Okay then," Yamaguchi said as he went back into his room. "Is there anything else I should prepare for?"

"Uh, none that I could think of."

"All right," the freckled boy smiled as he walked back into the hallway. He'd layered a dark green coat over his light shirt, and its oversized look made him appear smaller.

"Your tie's a little crooked," Tsukishima commented.

"Eh, is it?" Yamaguchi asked, bowing his head to inspect it. Instead he found Tsukishima's hands tugging the wool out and over his vest, adjusting the knot with nimble movements.

"There," Tsukishima said as he appraised the tie placement.

"Thanks, Tsukki," Yamaguchi smiled sheepishly. "And sorry you had to wait."

"It's fine, it's partially my fault anyway."

"Well it doesn't really matter," the freckled boy assured.

They made their way to the doorway and put on their shoes, where Tsukishima tied the laces of his white boots while Yamaguchi slipped on some brown loafers. Tsukishima blew into his hands as he waited for the other boy to finish locking up.

"So, you'll be leading the way tonight, then?"

"I suppose," Tsukishima shrugged. They walked out into the starless night, the space between them decreasing with every step. "Do you feel like eating already?"

"I'm not totally against the idea," Yamaguchi said, their knuckles lightly brushing against the other boy's. "Did you make a reservation somewhere?"

"What? No, I didn't," Tsukishima replied slowly. "Would you have wanted that?"

The freckled boy let out a sigh of relief. "No, I'm happy that you didn't. I would've needed some time to mentally prepare myself for that," he said as he linked his fingers with Tsukishima's. He quickly tucked their hands into his coat pocket. Yamaguchi let out a chuckle as he said, "I knew your hands would be cold."

"Is that so?" Tsukishima replied with a small smile. "That doesn't seem to stop you from holding them, though."

"Yeah, well, someone has to warm them up," Yamaguchi grinned back.

"If that were the case then I- " Tsukishima trailed off.

"Then you...?" Yamaguchi urged.

"Forget it," Tsukishima brushed off, cheeks pink.

"Don't be like that, now I'm curious," Yamaguchi complained.

"It's nothing."

"Tsukki," Yamaguchi pouted. "It would've been better if you hadn't said anything to begin with."

"It's just, uh," Tsukishima frowned and sighed. "I'd rather it were you, I guess."

"You'd rather I what? You mean — oh. Oh," Yamaguchi nodded slowly. He gently squeezed Tsukishima's hand as he replied, "I wish it was cold all the time, then."

 

* * *

  
Tsukishima guided them to a restaurant in the city, one with a cobblestone entrance and sleek hardwood interiors. No chandeliers hung above them, but the ambient lighting provided a warm atmosphere.

Next to their table was a large family, and to their back a young group of friends chattered over colorful drinks. Muted laughter could be heard from one of the restaurant's function rooms, and the waitpersons were scurrying about with trays upon trays of food.

"What will you be getting, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asked as he scanned through the menu.

"I don't really know. Something warm, I guess." Tsukishima shrugged. Their server recommended some weather appropriate dishes, and the blond nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll get the soup meal, then."

"I think I'll get this one," Yamaguchi said as he pointed to an item in the menu.

"Are you sure?" Tsukishima asked, feeling concern as they eyed the dish's warnings.

"The spiciness sounds like a good idea in this cold," Yamaguchi replied. "I've tried kimchi before, so it should be fine,"

"If you say so," the blond shrugged as he handed the menu back to the server. In a moment they returned back to their table to pour them some water.

Yamaguchi thanked them as they filled their glass, and once they left he cleared his throat and remained silent. Their shoulders were stiff, and Tsukishima settled on observing Yamaguchi’s fingers tinker with the stem of their glass. “Tsukki, I’ve been thinking,” Yamaguchi said slowly. As the freckled boy paused to drink some water, the time frame he’d allowed himself was enough for Tsukishima’s body temperature to drop.

“About what?"

“I’ve been thinking about going back to school,” he said shyly. “But I’m not really sure about it yet."

Like an unexpected cliffhanger, Tsukishima's quickening heartbeat felt anticlimactic, but the concern on his face was sincere. "Why not?"

"The application period starts in less than two months so I don’t know if I have enough time. I mean, I want to think about it more, but if I wait too long, then I might waste away another year again," the freckled boy mumbled with a creased brow. "What do you think, Tsukki?”

“Are you asking me if you should go back to school?”

Yamaguchi looked at him with a determination in his eyes as he said, “Yeah, I mean do you think I should go for it? Do you think I'd be able to prepare my application in time for the deadline?”

Tsukishima didn’t even attempt to keep from smiling as he replied, “You’ll make it.”

"Ah, I really hope I do," Yamaguchi said as he lowered his gaze to the table. "Knowing that you'll be in grad school by next week really made me think about it again. I'm still anxious about it but I know I'll never be completely certain either."

"Have you talked to your parents about it?"

"That's the thing I'm most anxious about," Yamaguchi groaned. "I have some money saved, but it's nowhere near enough to support myself for the entire course. I don't even have a clue as to how I'm going to bring it up to them."

"You'll be fine," Tsukishima assured. "We'll figure something out."

They exchanged small smiles as their server returned with their meals. Tsukishima's eyeglasses fogged from the steam of the bowls of soup and rice that were positioned before him. On the other side of their table, Yamaguchi's plate dripped with red.

"So that's the kimchi stew, huh." Tsukishima said in monotone. "Looks spicy."

"It certainly does," Yamaguchi agreed with equal dryness.

They clasped their hands and said their graces. "Let's eat."

"Here goes nothing," the freckled boy whispered as he brought a spoonful of the rice and pork to his lips. His eyes widened and the colour drained from his cheeks. "Holy sh— hmm, wow."

"Are you okay?" Tsukishima struggled to say with a leveled voice. "You know you don't have to censor yourself around me, right?"

Yamaguchi bit his lip. "I'm used to it because of work, I guess. But wow, that packed a punch. Okay. Ha ha, I just need to breathe in for a little bit."

"Would you want to order something else?"

"No, it's fine. I wouldn't want to waste the food," Yamaguchi said with a shake of his head, covering the lower half of his face with his hand. "My lips feel like they're on fire though."

Tsukishima reached over to the tissue dispenser and extended a sheet to the other. Yamaguchi grabbed their wrist and moved Tsukishima's hand to their face, rubbing their mouth into the tissue with quick movements. When Yamaguchi released their grasp on the other, his lips were tinted red.

"Wh-why don't I have some of yours?" the blonde stuttered, slowly retracting his arm.

"My what?"

"Your food," Tsukishima elaborated. "I mean we could split our meals, if you wouldn't mind."

"Oh," Yamaguchi chuckled awkwardly. He opened his mouth to decline the offer, but quickly reconsidered. "That actually sounds like a good idea, Tsukki."

Tsukishima requested two empty bowls from a waiter. Once the wares arrived, they each took a piece and filled it with a portion of their dish. Yamaguchi lit up with happiness when he took a taste of Tsukishima’s order, but Tsukishima had to take his specs off to wipe at his eyes when he bit into Yamaguchi’s.

“Why did you order this?” Tsukishima grumbled, but towards the end of his sentence he began to laugh.

“You can’t really trust yourself to make sound decisions when you’re hungry,” Yamaguchi replied. “Sorry, Tsukki.”

“It’s fine. Hopefully I’ll get used to the burn in time to actually enjoy the taste.”

“The rice offsets the spiciness, so that might help.”

Tsukishima hummed. “Hmm, you’re right.”

Two spice-reddened lips and soup-burnt tongues later, Tsukishima signaled their server for their bill. The two continued to talk about nothing in particular, but when their invoice arrived, their conversation began to get a little more heated. They compromised to splitting the bill in half.

They walked out of the bustling restaurant with full stomachs. Despite the weather, the streets were still crowded. People bundled up in jackets and scarves, while a few others didn’t let the temperature govern their choice of garments.

Yamaguchi covered his mouth with both of his hands as he let out a yawn.

“Tired?”

“I guess. Work was pretty draining today,” Yamaguchi confessed.

“Why don’t we call it a day?”

“Eh, are you sure? It’s still pretty early.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like this is the last time we’ll be seeing each other.”

Yamaguchi smiled. “You’re right.”

 

* * *

 

The train was not as cramped as it usually was, and it was considerably emptier than the usual night crowd. Despite this, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi still couldn’t get seats for themselves. By the time they were pushed into a corner of the railroad car, neither of them really pointed out how their hands were intertwined again.

They engaged in lighthearted banter and occasionally trailed off mid-sentence to mutually ‘evaluate’ the other passengers. They spoke in hushed tones, but Yamaguchi had to scold Tsukishima for raising their voice on more than one occasion.

“I don’t know if I admire them for braving the weather in that get-up or if I’m concerned over their brainlessness.”

"It's too cold to wear a shirt with that many holes," Yamaguchi frowned.

"It's got so little fabric left but it probably still cost a fortune. Why would you even buy that?"

“Well, the style suits them," Yamaguchi assessed. “And for all we know, they could have modified it on their own."

"You might be right," Tsukishima nodded.

The passengers shifted around the coach, and the mix allowed Tsukishima and Yamaguchi an endless supply of material to work with. A lady came in wearing a printed jumper skirt dress, and the cartoon stars on its hem reminded the both of them of Yachi. When a young child stood next to them, Tsukishima noticed the toy robot in their hand. He pointed this out to Yamaguchi, who in turn went to elaborately retell the story of a Gundam spinoff Tsukishima never bothered to get into. The characters' names and the series' technicalities didn't stick with him, but the way Yamaguchi's eyes lit up as he spoke was enough to keep his attention. The freckled boy's smiles were merely a bonus.

It was only when they neared the turnstiles that they released their grip on one another. Tsukishima wiped his hand on his back pocket before catching up to Yamaguchi, who was standing by the entrance gate.

The blond was aware of the sound long before they reached the exit, but he was too preoccupied with other things to process what it meant. As he stood by Yamaguchi’s side, he stared out to the street with an emotionless gaze.

The rain hissed when it hit the pavement, forming puddles where the ground was uneven. He had grown familiar of the neighborhood's landscape, but in the downpour it was near impossible to make out what he was looking at.

“Do you happen to have an umbrella with you, Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima droned.

“No, I don’t.”

The corners of his mouth pulled downwards as he said, "Should we buy some umbrellas?"

"Let's try waiting for a bit first," Yamaguchi suggested, tucking his hands into his coat pockets. "But if you want to go already then I'll be fine with it."

Tsukishima replied that he wasn't in a hurry to leave. The flow of train passengers fluctuated, and taxi cabs were being hailed left and right. A colourful display of umbrellas paraded before them. Although they waited for ten minutes, the rain simply calmed from a tragic fight between cat and dog to a regular torrent.

"Let's go," Yamaguchi whispered softly enough that Tsukishima barely heard it over the sound of the rain.

"Should I go get the umbrellas then?"

"No," Yamaguchi shook his head.

"Then what?"

"Your apartment isn't that far from here, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Tsukishima hesitated. "Why?"

"We'll make it. Yeah, we'll make it," Yamaguchi repeated with added confidence. "Let's make a break for it."

"Huh? Wai—"

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were drenched in a matter of seconds.

 

* * *

Tsukishima wiped his face on the towel he'd slung across his shoulders. The sensation of being dry came as a blessing.

"What were you thinking?" Tsukishima asked once the freckled boy walked into the living room. Almost immediately he could smell the mint off Yamaguchi's skin when they sat next to him.

"I don't know," Yamaguchi smiled embarrassedly, rubbing his hair with the towel Tsukishima lent him. He carried his cellphone and keys on his other hand. "Thanks for letting me use your shower, and for the clothes too."

"It's nothing," Tsukishima dismissed. "You should've gone first though."

"You're still hung up on that? I'm pretty sure you get sick easier than I do, so it's only right for you to use the shower first."

The blond shrugged. "Would you need an umbrella or should I call a cab to bring you home?"

"Uh, actually I was thinking if I could maybe stay here for tonight. If that's okay," Yamaguchi whispered, twirling his phone in his grasp. It started to buzz, but he quickly dismissed the alert notification.

"Oh. Okay," Tsukishima mumbled. “Wait, what was that?”

“What was what?”

“That,” Tsukishima said as he pointed at Yamaguchi’s phone. The freckled boy brought the device before them, face paling when he realized what he'd just done. "Ah."

“Eh, don’t be mistaken," Yamaguchi flustered. "It's your birthday so I thought it'd be nice to use this as the wallpaper."

“Right,” the blond nodded. “That’s such an awful photograph, though.”

“What? It’s perfectly fine."

"I'm pretty sure you didn't feel the same way while we were taking this," Tsukishima complained.

"Really?" Yamaguchi said with a tilt of their head. "Hey, why don't we take another one now, Tsukki?"

“You mean another picture? Right now?” Tsukishima asked, breaking out into a sweat.

“Yeah. Why not?”

“But why? We already have that one together, don’t we? It’s not like we look any different.”

“Well, that’s true,” Yamaguchi nodded. “But wouldn’t it be nice to commemorate the night?”

"You mean my birthday?" Tsukishima asked, unimpressed.

"Well, that and our first date," the freckled boy murmued, feeling self-conscious. "This is a date, right?"

The room seemed to heat up, and Tsukishima became all too aware of how his tongue hit his teeth in his mouth. "Uh, yeah," he stumbled on his words.

Yamaguchi grinned. "Well, first thing's first, we're going to have to take off your eyeglasses."

"What? Why?"

"You wouldn't want a repeat of last time, right? Let's try not to make the same mistakes," Yamaguchi said as he pulled their towels aside and slipped Tsukishima's eyeglasses off.

"Don't tell me you plan on having me take the picture again."

"It won't take long this time, I promise," the freckled boy said as he looked into Tsukishima's eyes and smiled.

Tsukishima yielded to the other's persuading and extended the phone before them. Yamaguchi guided their arm and poked their chin to a higher positioning, allowing the light to soften the shadows on their face. Just as Tsukishima was about to start his countdown, Yamaguchi spoke.

"Maybe I should try putting on your eyeglasses this time, just to see how it looks like."

"No, don't do that. My grade is—"

"Whoa, this is kind of giving me a headache," Yamaguchi groaned. "Tsukki, how do I look?"

"What are you talking about?" Tsukishima replied incredulously, desperately trying not to laugh. "I can barely see you."

Yamaguchi sighed as he lifted the arm that Tsukishima had put down, readjusting the camera angle. "What do you mean? Where are your glasses anyway— oh, oh no," he began to wheeze, gripping Tsukishima's shoulder for balance. "I'm so— I'm sorry, Tsukki. I can't. I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously," the blond chuckled. "Do you think I wear those for fashion?"

Even when they regained their composure and started taking pictures, one of them would start to shake in attempt to control their giggling and they'd only fall back into their laughing fit once again.

 

* * *

 

"You said we wouldn't take long."

"Come on. At least these aren't half-bad," Yamaguchi said as he scrolled through his gallery.

"Is that a compliment?"

"I didn't know you took a picture that time," the freckled boy commented as he passed his phone to Tsukishima. The both of them tried to stifle their giggling, but their efforts were far from successful.

"I didn't know either. You were shaking me so hard, I must've clicked the button on accident."

"Would you mind if I posted it?"

"Of all the ones I took, that's the one you want to share?" Tsukishima complained. "I thought you didn't like it if it was blurry? Besides, you aren't even looking at the camera."

"That doesn't really matter. Your smile looks the best in this one."

Tsukishima attempted to frown. "Fine." 

Yamaguchi thoughtfully stared at his phone screen, sifting through the photo filters with a discerning eye. He sported a satisfied look when he found one that he liked, and he showed the finished image to Tsukishima before posting it. Shortly afterwards, his phone started ringing incessantly. Yamaguchi explained that it was just Yachi's excited text messages. The freckled boy hunched over his phone as he typed away his response, damp locks falling over his face.

Tsukishima brought his hand to Yamaguchi's hair and gently combed it back. The freckled boy immediately turned towards him, and when their eyes met their cheeks flushed with hints of colour. The blond froze, their fingers still lingering by the other's ear. Yamaguchi reached over to their hand and brought it before their mouth, their lips lightly brushing over his palm as he breathed hot air into it.

"Would you like to move in with me?"

"Huh?"

Tsukishima only slightly regretted blurting out the words. "This place is so empty, you could probably display your entire collections and still have room to spare. You wouldn't have to hide your things in your drawer anymore."

"Tsukki, I—"

"But I understand if you wouldn't want to. It's a little sudden and —"

"Oh, no, you've actually asked me this before," Yamaguchi interrupted. "But you were drunk then and I wasn't sure if you were being serious."

"Wait, you remembered that?" Tsukishima whispered, feeling a wave of shame rush over him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"How was I supposed to bring that up? And besides, I wasn't even sure if you remembered it or not either," the freckled boy confessed. "I've sort of made my decision about it though, but there's just something that's been bothering me."

The blond's face contorted in worry. "What?"

"Well — Why? Why would you even want me to stay with you?" Yamaguchi spoke slowly. He laughed nervously before he continued, "I know we've stayed in each other's places before, but most of them were unplanned and the circumstances were different. Moving in just seems like some really extended hang out and I don't understand how you'd want to spend all that time with me."

"What do you mean?" Tsukishima questioned with a raised brow. "I like your company just fine, why else would I bother asking you otherwise? I don't understand why you're here right now either, but I'd rather not question it. I'm the one asking if you'd be fine with spending all that time with me."

Yamaguchi's eyes widened for a bit before closing into crescents as he smiled. He discreetly scooted closer to the other boy, causing parts of their arms and thighs to press together. "There's another thing that I've been thinking about, too."

"What's that?"

"Did Sugawara-san leave behind any furniture in their bedroom?"

Tsukishima looked at the other boy with confusion. "No, the last time I checked it was completely empty."

"Oh, okay," Yamaguchi nodded. "Do you think I should bring my bed here or do I finally get around to putting it on sale?"

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> — well, while I say it's my favorite, I think the next chapter might just be My Real Fave ;)) It's practically the event I've developed this entire fic around lmao I hope I won't nitpick it until my brain combusts. I will be realistic and say that I'll update within the month — probably around Wednesday next week? Let's see how things go…
> 
> !! Because of its length I could only manage to proofread this chapter once so please alert me of any errors again. ;v;
> 
> Oh, and (belated) Happy Valentines too! To be honest I quite loathe this season, but I look forward to the discounted chocolates that spawn in my local grocery once the season has passed. :p 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed/are enjoying/will enjoy your day! Thank you for dedicating some of your time into reading this!!!! <3


	20. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually finished writing this chapter quite early because I was super excited about it hehe but then I got really anxious and embarrassed and went Full Nitpick Mode for the past four days so idk. I'm posting this now to end my pain.
> 
>  **Important announcement** in the author notes at the end, btw!! I can't say for certain if it's good or bad news, but it can wait until you finish reading this chapter :)

The color of the scarf that wound around his neck radiated all the way to his cheeks. Autumn was well underway and winter was right around the corner, but there was a spring in each step he took.

He walked through the neighborhood with a small smile on his face. He absorbed the afternoon sights and sounds with a sense of enthusiasm, ingraining them into his memory. His neighborhood hadn’t changed much, save for the sunbleached shop signs and the chipped paint of his apartment building. He waved at the elderly woman that retrieved her laundry from the railings of the upper floor. The scene brought to mind all the days he caught her performing the chore, making him question whether he'd ever bear witness to it again.

He held on to his bag strap as he rummaged through his things. By a stroke of luck, his key slipped into the keyhole with such ease and precision on the first go, and when he turned the knob it didn’t creak as much as it usuallly did.

“I’m ho—“ the smile on his face faltered and his heart dropped to his knees. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, Yamaguchi furrowed his brow as he asked, “—how did you get in here?"

The volume of Yamaguchi's voice caused Tsukishima to stir. The blond opened his eyes and pulled down his headphones. They were cooped up on the kitchen floor, their shoes next to their socked feet. "Would you ever greet me in your home in a positive tone?" They unfolded their arms, bringing their hands to the floor to support their weight.

"Would you ever remember to warn me before you came to visit?" Yamaguchi replied as he extended a hand towards them, and Tsukishima accepted his assistance in lifting them off the ground.

"Well, it's not like that really matters anymore. We'll be living together now, anyway."

"I'd still appreciate a warning, Tsukki," Yamaguchi grumbled as he drew back his arm, and the warmth that filled his chest grew difficult to ignore. "What were you doing, anyway?"

"Waiting," Tsukishima said as he shrugged off his coat.

"Right here? By the doorway?" Yamaguchi's voice went up an octave. "You already barged in here, you might as well have just gone in to the living room."

"And snoop around your place without permission? I'd rather not."

"But you're totally fine with intruding?" the freckled boy spoke in monotone.

"You were the one who told me where you kept your spare keys," Tsukishima frowned. "I just didn't want to wait outside in the cold."

"Fine," Yamaguchi sighed, slipping off his shoes. He took off his scarf and jacket, setting them on a nearby dining chair. “Have you had your lunch yet?”

“Yeah, I got something after class.”

The dark-haired boy let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I’ve already packed up my pots and pans and it would’ve been such a hassle to take them out.”

“Where did you eat then?”

“I met up with Yachi for lunch at the food courts," Yamaguchi said with a smile. "How was class?”

“We were given an hour to prepare a report over what we already knew about osteology and its analysis methods. It was more hectic than fun.”

“That sounds exhausting,” Yamaguchi made a face. “Aren’t you tired, then? Want to go rest for a bit?”

“I’m fine,” Tsukishima shrugged. “I came here to help you pack.”

“Well, I appreciate the offer, but all that’s left to pack are the stuff in my room.”

“Then let’s get to it,” Tsukishima said as he motioned towards the bedroom door.

The freckled boy caught on to the blond’s forearm. “Wait. Didn't I say we should do that tomorrow instead? The bed people are coming in the morning to disassemble the frame, so it would be much easier to move around by then," Yamaguchi reasoned.

"All the better. If we finish packing by tonight then you'd be all set to move in that much sooner."

The dark-haired boy pursed his lips to stop from smiling. “Tsukki, do you want me to move in with you that badly?"

"No,” the blond replied, speaking as though he was offended. “Well, not a ‘no' kind of no, but —” they spluttered. Yamaguchi folded his arms and Tsukishima frowned. “Is it such a bad idea to start early, Yamaguchi?”

"Not at all."

 

* * *

 

The mess of Yamaguchi’s room quickly escalated into that of a hazardous obstacle course. Whatever free space there was to walk was now barricaded with stacks of cardboard boxes and cleaning materials.

The two took to different corners of the room. Yamaguchi had requested Tsukishima to steer clear from packing his beloved figure and preserved insect collections, and the blond graciously agreed. He dutifully dusted off a bookcase and the freckled boy was quick to pack up his assortment of suspicious printed material. He briefly considered his new living situation and debated whether he even wanted to bring them along in the first place. What would Tsukishima think of them? Did their opinion matter? As he mulled over his options, he pulled out a bright hardbound from the shelf. Tacky gold-lined flowers crept up its red cover. He brought a rag over the embossed label, going over the corners and spaces of the nubby “Photo Album” lettering.

"You actually read this?" Tsukishima scoffed from the other side of the room. Yamaguchi turned to face the blond, and Tsukishima angled the book in his hand in a way that showcased its cover.

Yamaguchi's face paled like the forearms that contrasted the book's harsh black background. "Eh, I guess..."

"You know you could've just bluffed, right?"

"I was in high school, okay?" Yamaguchi whined.

“But you liked the story enough to bring it when you moved?"

“No,” Yamaguchi replied. “It’s always just been here.”

Tsukishima's brow wrinkled. “What? Just how long have you lived in this place?"

Yamaguchi titled his head in thought. "A while."

The blond paused before he snorted, “Were you fucking quoting that Edward dude?"

"What!" Yamaguchi squeaked. "So you've read the books too, huh?" he accused.

"No way," the blond flushed. "I just, uh, have a rough idea of it."

"Don't you dare lie to me," Yamaguchi said as he ‘playfully’ tossed the album he'd been holding.

“I’m not— oof!” Tsukishima grunted. He attempted to catch the book that hurled towards him, but by the time he reached out to grab it, it was already halfway to the ground. Luckily, he managed to move his feet in time to avoid suffering from tome-to-toe injury.

"Oh boy, have your reflexes started to dull out because you haven't been exercising lately?" Yamaguchi chuckled. He motioned for the other boy to keep the album in a nearby box.

"Okay. First of all, that was an attack," Tsukishima spat. "And second, I'm sure I'm still sharp enough to react on time if you ever fall off the train again," he added with a sneer.

Yamaguchi glanced at the other boy briefly. "I'll be counting on you to catch me then."

Tsukishima's eyes widened in surprise, but he looked away almost immediately.

"So were you on team Edward or team Jacob?"

"Fuck that, I only watched the first movie because I was guilt-tripped by my brother to go with him. Why are you even asking me this," the blond said with a roll of their eyes.

Yamaguchi stared at him with a disbelieving smile.

Tsukishima sighed. "Okay, fine. Maybe I was a little on Jacob's side, but only because the other guy was a pasty Jurassic creep."

"Sounds like somebody I know," Yamaguchi alluded.

"Well, you become what you hate," Tsukishima shrugged as he crouched to retrieve the fallen book on the ground. When he lifted it, a small rectangular sheet slipped out of one of its pages. Tsukishima flipped the piece around for the other to see. "Is this...?"

The freckled boy walked next to the blond. "Ah, aha ha, yeah. I hated that day," Yamaguchi droned. He observed how he'd once covered their tear-stained face with such conviction, barely a freckle peeping behind his hands. Their childish sorrow was immortalized in the photograph. His mother crouched next to him, the vibrant colours of the school campus behind them now scratched and faded in time.

"What happened?"

"This was when my parents picked me up after my first day of elementary school.”

"Is that why you were crying?"

"Ah, well, no. It wasn't anything serious, really."

"You cried yourself to a pulp. Looks serious to me."

Yamaguchi staggered around the cramped walkway and back to the spot where he'd been cleaning. He rubbed his nose as he said, "Nah, I'm sure this was taken while I was telling my mom how I hurt myself in the playground."

"And your dad took pictures of this happening?"

"Well, it was a day of family firsts."

Tsukishima stared at him critically, gazing into Yamaguchi's eyes with a blank experession. "If you say so," he shrugged. He looked at the photo once more before putting it away and returned to cleaning. "It looked like you were crying about something big anyway."

Yamaguchi smiled softly. He murmured, "Yeah, my parents bought into it anyway."

"Did you say something?"

"No," the freckled boy said. "Thanks, Tsukki."

"For what?" the blond said, confused.

"For, well - for coming over to help," Yamaguchi spluttered.

"It's no problem," Tsukishima replied. "Where are your parents now, anyway?"

"They're out of the country for work, actually. They keep moving around and it was fun to travel with them at first, but it just got tiresome after a while. So I decided to stay here."

"Alone?" the blond raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you at least have relatives you could've stayed with?"

"At one point I did, but then it just felt like I was being a burden. I guess my parents didn't like the idea of imposing on others either, so I started living by myself."

The hand that had been mindlessly pulling at things now halted. Tsukishima froze. He blinked his eyes once and twice more before he turned to Yamaguchi. "Are you sure about moving in with me, then?"

"Oh, of course I am," Yamaguchi hurriedly replied. "I mean, this is different. I'm not staying with you just so you could look after me. If anything, I'll probably be the one taking care of you."

 

* * *

 

They teetered around the room with caution. Tsukishima began to play music from his phone, unplugging the headphones to blare songs from its tiny speakers. Their feet tapped to the beat. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi seemed too preoccupied with their wiping and dusting to really engage in conversation. At least that was how it was in the beginning.

“‘Their achievements were very「すごい」’? Seriously?” Tsukishima laughed, sheets of crusty lined paper in his hand. “Couldn’t you have at least attempted to write the romanization of sugoi?”

“I’m not all that good with foreign languages okay,” Yamaguchi groaned. “Just shove that in the trash already."

“Well, this essay deserves to be framed, so why don’t we keep it?”

“Don’t be rude,” Yamaguchi said as he glared at Tsukishima, but the smile on his lips didn’t make him look all that threatening.

More strange curios began to be unearthed from the room’s dark corners. Forgotten Gundam pieces, fast food napkins, and suspicious square wrappers were amongst the findings. Coupled with the electronic beats that bounced off the walls, it felt like an exciting excavation scene, or at least a low budget mystery film.

Their cleaning routes finally intersected by another corner of the room. Yamaguchi motioned to reach one of the relaxing jars in an upper shelf, but with Tsukishima blocking his path and not much leg room to spare, he only hoped that his limbs were long enough to reach it. Before he could strain himself, Tsukishima had already picked the jar and passed it to him.

"Thanks, Tsukki," Yamaguchi smiled, bringing a gentle hand to gratefully pat the other boy's waist.

The two of them jolted. Tsukishima reacted first, practically rising to their toes as they uttered out a yelp. Yamaguchi retracted his hand almost immediately, but when he caught sight of the blond's expression, the freckled boy's smile widened.

"No, please, no, no, no," Tsukishima said as they kept their elbows locked to their sides, raising their palms to defend from Yamaguchi's advancements.

Without breaking eye contact, Yamaguchi set down the relaxing jar by a nearby shelf compartment. He tried to keep a poker face. "You're looking pretty constipated, Tsukki."

"Get. Away. From me," Tsukishima half-cried and half-laughed. A slight movement from Yamaguchi was enough to bring electricity up his spine, and he was visibly conflicted over what his priorities were. Should he protect his neck first? His waist? Armpits? The idea of what was to come was enough to upset him.

Yamaguchi smiled mischievously. He hovered his fingers over the blond's neck, causing Tsukishima to retreat behind their shoulders. The freckled boy barely brushed his palm across the other's waist when Tsukishima reflexively gripped his forearm, but there was no strength in their clutch. A switch clicked in Yamaguchi's mind. He was ready to go in for the kill.

Tsukishima's halfhearted defense was easy to slip past. The blond might have curled into himself, but that didn’t stop Yamaguchi from digging into their sides. Tsukishima leaned onto the wall for support. He was hyperaware of Yamaguchi by the bones of his ribs, and while their fingers moved lightly they brought such great discomfort. It caused Tsukishima's forehead to wrinkle in uneasiness. When the blond managed to fend them off, the freckled boy moved his hands to either side of Tsukishima's neck. They might have been coerced by Yamaguchi's own heartfelt giggling, or they could have eased in to the sensation enough to ignore the pain and enjoy the pleasure. Whatever it was, Tsukishima began to laugh. They laughed until their body shook, their stomach aching until the pleasure turned to pain again.

An obnoxious pop melody resounded within the room. Yamaguchi paused to allow the both of them to catch their breaths.

"So you listen to boy bands?" the freckled boy wheezed.

"No way," Tsukishima denied, his voice coming through like a puff of air.

"There's nothing wrong with liking it."

"No, it's just - my phone just synced with Yachi's playlist some time ago."

"But you didn't think to delete them?"

"Well..."

"Stop lying already!"

When Yamaguchi returned his hands to Tsukishima, the blond's knees buckled. They lost their footing and hit the side of Yamaguchi's bed, causing them to collapse onto the mattress. In an attempt to escape, Tsukishima rolled to the other side of the bed. When they got on their feet they meant to bolt out the door, but they'd been paralyzed by laughter that by the time they regained their balance, Yamaguchi was already there.

"Have mercy," Tsukishima cried. Their eyeglasses were askew, but they didn't bother to adjust them. They'd rather risk breaking them than have to brave through another tickling. "Please stop, I can barely breathe," he pleaded.

Tsukishima's cheeks began to ache. Yamaguchi's smile was infectious. Every step that Yamaguchi took towards them caused the blond to back up to a wall. He whimpered. When the freckled boy began to raise his arms, Tsukishima caught them by the wrist.

Yamaguchi laughed through their grin. He slowly wrapped his arms around the blond's shoulders. There was silence as the playlist shuffled to the next track, and Tsukishima tensed despite the other’s gentle movements. "Relax, Tsukki," the freckled boy teased, leisurely moving their hands down to the other's waist.

"No more, please," Tsukishima pleaded over the song's slow intro as he desperately gripped Yamaguchi’s shoulders, shifting his weight to lightly press Yamaguchi against the wall. The freckled boy snickered as he nuzzled his nose onto Tsukishima’s collarbone, their bodies so close that it was impossible to tell whose heart was beating faster.

Tsukishima panted. The smell of mint and powder mixed with the dust and sweat that stuck onto their shirts. Yamaguchi began rubbing circles on Tsukishima's back, his motions in tune to the slow hum from the speakers until he simply grabbed onto clumps of the other's shirt. The shared body heat grew intense, causing them to move away from one another.

None of them spoke a word, but a melodious verse of intimacy filled their ears. Shaky hands made their way to Tsukishima's temples. Yamaguchi adjusted the other's eyeglasses, bringing one hand to Tsukishima's shoulder once he finished. He gazed into their brown eyes. The blond found it difficult to maintain eye contact, seemingly distracted by the lower half of the freckled boy's face as he unconsciously ran a tongue over his chapped lips.

Yamaguchi whispered an apology as he lightly ran his fingers through blond strands, combing off the dust that caught on to it. He brushed through Tsukishima's hair in gentle strokes, only resting to caress the side of their face when he hushed, "Thanks for being here, Tsukki."

Tsukishima had hunched slightly to catch the other’s hand before they could move away. He leaned in close enough that their breaths mingled. The blond gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind Yamaguchi’s ear, causing them to smile.

They were still smiling when their lips met.

Yamaguchi moved his hands from Tsukishima's face to their chest. They parted momentarily, only to close their eyes again to focus on the softness and warmth of the other’s mouth. When Yamaguchi locked their lips and slipped his hands down to Tsukishima's waist, it was by reflex that the other boy jumped, causing their teeth to bump as they grinned and laughed.

When Yamaguchi opened his eyes again, the flush of Tsukishima’s cheeks caused his heart to swell, but the smile on the other’s lips distracted him. The walls around him could collapse and he wouldn’t have realized it. The song had shifted to an old rock song he knew by heart, but the words didn't reach him. If Tsukishima hadn't caressed his cheek, he probably wouldn’t have heard the blond’s reply, either.

"Any time."

The grin on Yamaguchi’s face threatened to tear his face in two.

“We should get back to work,” Tsukishima mumbled, rubbing a hand on his nape.

“Oh, y-yeah, we should,” Yamaguchi stuttered.

There wasn't much packing left to do at that point. One petty fight over packaging tape techniques and a tickle threat later, Yamaguchi's room was left looking uncharacteristically bare.

Without the curtains, the room's windows looked larger than usual. Outside, the sun had already disappeared from the sky, but traces of its glow teased the heavens into a vivid palette.

"Wow, we can barely move around this place," Tsukishima commented as he set another box by the entryway. "How are they supposed to bring the bed out through this mess?"

"Ugh, d-damn, we didn't think this through," Yamaguchi stumbled on his words.

"Maybe we could get a cab to transfer some of the stuff beforehand?" the blond suggested.

"That's not such a bad idea," Yamaguchi agreed. "But Yachi insisted on using her car to move the stuff tomorrow, and I'd feel bad to cancel on her at the last minute."

"Then just call her out now then."

"What?" Yamaguchi exclaimed incredulously. "It's Saturday night, the traffic's sure to be absurd, and it's way too out of the blue. No way am I going to inconvenience her."

The blond wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "But you're totally fine inconveniencing me?"

"Hey, you brought this upon yourself," Yamaguchi reminded.

"You're not entirely wrong," Tsukishima admitted. "I just highly doubt the evening rush would deter that girl from helping you out."

Yachi arrived at Yamaguchi's apartment in less than an hour, steaming hot fast food in tow.

 

* * *

 

"Is that the last of it?" Yachi asked as she made way for the other to pass.

"Yeah, finally," the freckled boy strained to reply. With a grunt, he and Tsukishima set the box down in the now crowded living room. "Now all we have to do is unpack."

"How exciting," Tsukishima droned with a roll of his eyes, causing Yamaguchi to chuckle. “Would you mind it if I helped out?”

“Oh, I assumed you'd opt out of it, actually,” Yamaguchi confessed. “But yes, please, I’d really appreciate it.”

“Well, considering how I live here too, it’s only natural that I’d like the place to be less cluttered as soon as possible,” the blond grumbled.

Yamaguchi rubbed a hand over his forearm and stared at the ground as he replied, “Of course.”

Tsukishima pursed his lips. His eyes darted from the clock on the wall to the sofa to his side. He wiped his eyeglasses on his shirt as he said, "Uh, so, welcome home, I guess."

Yamaguchi whipped his head up abruptly, surprise evident on his face. A wide grin spread across his mouth as he laughed, "It's good to be home."

"Uh, so, I guess I'll be heading back then," Yachi mumbled.

"Ah, why don't you rest for a bit? We can leave together," Yamaguchi offered.

"Are you going somewhere?" Tsukishima asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah. Someone has to be at my apartment for when the crew arrives to work on the bed."

"But you already packed up all of your stuff," Tsukishima said monotonously. "Are you planning on sleeping in the same clothes?"

Yamaguchi remained expressionless.

"Well, which boxes are they in, anyway?" Yachi chimed in.

"I've got no idea and I'm too tired to scavenge," Yamaguchi sighed. "I guess I can just head to the apartment early tomorrow morning. May I borrow a shirt for the night, Tsukki?"

"Yeah sure, go ahead. You can take a pair of shorts while you're at it," Tsukishima shrugged.

Yachi smiled. "It's a good thing your boyfriend's clothes fit you so well then, Yamaguchi." She dragged the freckled boy by the arm and led him out of the apartment. "Bye Tsukishima-kun!"

"Wha- where are you -?"

"Just let me have a moment with him, okay?" Yachi called out as she led Yamaguchi out of the apartment, only stopping once they reached the building's entryway. "Why are you so red?" she asked when she turned to the other boy.

"W-well, it's because you said -"

"Yeah, I know, he's 'not your boyfriend.' Sheesh, you keep telling me that. But what was up with all the hearts and kissy faces in your text messages tonight? You never use emojis with me. There's got to be a reason," Yachi folded her arms, partly due to the cold. "So? What inspired you?"

"I think your habit just rubbed off on me, Yachi," he replied. "Why'd you bring me out here so suddenly anyway? You should've at least let me get my coat."

"You're not fooling me, Yamaguchi," she said with a shake of her head. "I'd find it more believable if you said you finally confessed to Tsukishima, or no, if you actually kissed or something," she added with a dismissive wave of her hand.

The freckled boy mumbled, "Well, that's actually what happened, anyway."

"Yeah, right," Yachi laughed disbelievingly, but Yamaguchi didn't flinch.

"Right," Yamaguchi echoed, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"Wait. You're not-? No?" Yachi's jaw began to drop, and she had to bring both of her hands to cover it. "Oh. Oh my. Y-you aren't kidding? Wh-wha?" she squealed in gibberish, jumping up and down as she gripped Yamaguchi's elbows. "Who confessed first?"

"No one, we didn't say anything," Yamaguchi said in between laughs, but Yachi was too preoccupied to hear him.

"Ugh, I can't believe you left me clueless up there," Yachi complained. "Ah, but I'm really happy for you. Just go out with him already! For real! Jeez."

"Ha ha, that's easier said than done," he laughed awkwardly. "Besides, it might have just been a spur of the moment kind of thing. I can't be too sure."

"You said you didn't want to wait until the idea of going back to school felt right, didn't you? This is no different. Just bite into the opportunity already," Yachi said with a suggestive raise of her eyebrows. Yamaguchi gently smacked her on the shoulder. "And please, anyone looking at you two would mistake you for a couple anyway. It's only a matter of time until you guys make it official amongst yourselves. Might as well make it tonight, right?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'd be able to find the courage to tell Tsukki some other time."

"Tell me what?"

The two friends' faces blanched, their movements jagged as they looked over their shoulders. As though they were looking at a ghost, they stared at Tsukishima taking off their headphones.

"How long have you been standing there?" Yamaguchi croaked.

"I just got here," Tsukishima replied with a quizzical look. "Why? Did I miss anything?"

"No," Yachi dragged out the word. "Why are you here anyway?"

"You forgot your bag. I was waiting for you to come back to get it, but I guess you two were busy."

"Ah, thanks," Yachi said as she accepted the bag. "I guess I should be leaving for real then."

"Okay. Take care, Yachi," Yamaguchi urged himself to smile. "Thanks so much for your help."

"No problem," the girl nodded. "Good night," she said as she patted Tsukishima's lower back. The freckled boy instinctively lowered himself to allow Yachi to bring her cheek to his. She lightly pinched Yamaguchi's side as she added, "and good luck!" before walking to her car parked by the entrance.

"You guys are really close, huh."

"I guess. I really didn't think she'd actually come over tonight, though. I didn't expect you'd help me out today, either. I guess I should be putting more faith in my friends, huh?" Yamaguchi replied. He waited for Tsukishima to move back into the building, but the blond still stood with him by the entryway. "What is it?"

His eyes were far away yet unfocused, as though they were looking at something distant but non-existent. "Do you think of me as a friend?"

"How is that even a question?" the freckled boy laughed nervously.

"Right," the blond smiled weakly.

The chattering from the streets and shops nearby filled the silence. The city lights glittered around them, the passing cars leaving trails of white and red as they moved past. Tsukishima looked at the moon that hung above, lonely in the starless sky. The air grew cold and heavy, and he drew his arms around himself.

Yamaguchi had to stop himself from reaching over to hold the other's hand. He pursed his lips. "What are we, Tsukki?"

The other boy was quiet. Yamaguchi wondered if his voice had been too quiet for the blond to hear. Just as he was about to suggest returning inside, Tsukishima spoke.

"That's not something I can decide on my own."

"But if it were up to you —"

"No. I wouldn't want that."

The lump in Yamaguchi's throat became more apparent. "What do you mean?" he stammered. He leaned his back against the doorway's post and stared at his feet.

"Well, that's," they trailed off.

Yamaguchi caught sight of the blond's shoes moving towards him, but he didn't raise his head in response.

Tsukishima brought his fingers to brush away the curtain that concealed the other's expression, his touch cold against the other's skin.

Yamaguchi hesitantly looked at Tsukishima.

"I mean, whatever you make of this is your call, too. It's your time and your life. I don't know," the blond looked away, voice almost inaudible. "I don't even know how you feel."

Yamaguchi's chest felt like it had been set ablaze. Every breath turned surreal, and he reached over to touch the other's hand to make sure that he hadn't been dreaming.

It had only been a whisper. A faint call into the night that could barely be made out, but they were words meant for only Tsukishima to hear and he couldn't care less if the rest of the world hadn't caught on.

The smile Tsukishima had on his lips practically melted his heart. When Yamaguchi pulled the other boy into a kiss, he didn't care if anyone saw them, either.

 

* * *

 

Although it was still pretty awkward when they had to make way for a tenant to pass through the door.

 

* * *

 

The faint sun barely shone through the curtains. The cold air nipped at his exposed limbs, his arms and thighs barely concealed by the comforter they shared.

Puffs of air steadily flushed his face, but the heat was nothing compared to what radiated from the places where their bodies almost touched, the fabric of their shirts pooling and merging between them. He fluttered his eyes open. Everything blurred at the edges. In the daylight all he could make sense of was Yamaguchi, their dark orbs already staring into his own.

“Didn’t sleep well?” Tsukishima asked, his voice laced with grogginess.

“It’s the opposite,” they smiled softly. “You look cold.”

“I am.”

“Come here, then,” Yamaguchi said as they invited the other into an embrace.  
  
Tsukishima brightened but he barely moved any closer. Yamaguchi slung an arm around their body and pulled them towards him.

He hestitantly wrapped his own arms around the other but quickly melted into the hug and reveled in the comfort. “It's great that you're always so warm, Yamaguchi."

"So I'm going to be your personal heater from now on, huh?" Yamaguchi commented. "Is this the reason why you asked me to be your boyfriend?"

Tsukishima's heart picked up pace. "N-no."

"So you wouldn't mind it if we did this in the summer?"

"Why would I mind it?"

Yamaguchi snuggled even closer. "What if things get more heated than usual?"

Tsukishima’s grip on Yamaguchi’s shirt tightened as he said, “Well, we could just turn up the air conditioning…”

"That's not what I meant," Yamaguchi said, threateningly wiggling the fingers that he'd placed by Tsukishima's side.

"Stop it! No! It's way too early for this," Tsukishima whimpered, desperately angling his body away from the other. "Shouldn't you be going somewhere?"

"Don't change the subject," Yamaguchi commented. "But yeah. Would you come with me to wait for the movers? It'd be bad if I'm late, the buyer specifically wanted to pick up the bed by noon."

 

* * *

 

The two of them went about the morning as they always did, but at the same time the familiar motions felt different. There was an unfamiliar toothbrush by the sink. Two mugs had to be filled and it took longer to finish preparing breakfast. The morning brought about new beginnings, and as they stood next to each other in the kitchen brewing coffee and making toast, the idea of starting each day together didn't seem so unappealing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * The "A while" line is something the vampire dude Edward says when the female protag Bella asks him "How long have you been seventeen?" …Okay it's 2k15 and Twilight references are so passé and it just shows my age lmao but I just… felt like doing it… @_@
> 
> * すごい - sugoi - translates to 'amazing'
> 
> Anyway
> 
>  **While this fic is now labeled as "completed", it really isn't!** Technically, this is where it was intended to end, but there's still so much I want to do with this AU. I've mulled over my options — and since I've already spent so much time on this, I've decided to continue this as a 'series' ;v; However, I want to try out an episodic epilogue of sorts first while I think about whether I'm ready to commit to writing a sequel… Since I plan on taking the story to *cough* A Different Level *cough* I'd be more comfortable adjusting the rating if I started on a clean slate too, so it wouldn't seem like false advertising TT v TT 
> 
> I've already started working on the next part, and I plan on having it up by March 4th — one week from now! Fingers crossed! I'm not well-versed with ao3 shenanigans but I think you can subscribe to the [series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/219899) beforehand if you'd like to catch it before I post about it on my [tumblr](http://yankasmiles.tumblr.com/) :) FINALLY I can get to writing the Domestic AU I've had in mind for like half a year before I started investing myself in this really long prequel lmao
> 
> Thank you all for reading!!! Whether or not you decide to stick around for the epilogue and whatever comes beyond that, I am TRULY thankful for your readership. When I first started writing this, it was quite a stretch goal for me to get at least 20 kudos, so you can imagine how overwhelmed I continually am by how this story is being received… Thank you all so much… To everyone that has left comments and kudos, logged this in their rec lists, made fan art, and/or liked/reblogged/added tag commentary to my tumblr posts about it — you make me believe in angels ; _ ; I hope you all have/had a great day!! <3 <3

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [If Those Walls Could Talk](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4956973) by [artisticalgorithm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/artisticalgorithm/pseuds/artisticalgorithm)




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